Greetings from Lakeville — we’re in the middle of the public meeting… here are some comments thus far…

Patrick Edwards, 10006 – 305th St. W., Northfield – lives in Greenvale Township, someone suggested it during scoping.  It pits neighbors against neighbors, communities against communities.  This isn’t fair, and I don’t like this process.  Used to live in Lakeville, wanted to get out of busier areas, see Best Buy and Target, Lakeville is expanding, and down in Greenvale, they try to minimize impact, amount of homes per area, there’s 20 acre hunting area, wetland, two dairy farms, route goes within 250 yards of, and at both, the cows all are out in the fields where the line would be.  My home is up on a hill, overlooks the valley, and so where power lines are proposed are down the hill 130 feet, so everything in my view will be the powerline.  The EMF thing is not properly addressed, from what I’ve found so far in the last couple of months, it appears that a lot of private companies go out and do private studies, but I don’t find much from utility companies, governments, there was one in Sweden, they all raise alarms, and I have children.  We are in the process of putting together a bridal business, that pretty much puts an end to that, no one is going to want to get married with that hum in the background, or take pictures with big transmission lines in the background.  To have this going through there, I feel it should be places that are already established, roads, transmission lines.  I’m sorry for whoever ends up with this, and I’ll be especially sorry if I end up with it.

Robert Johnson – (he handed in written comments – will post if it becomes available) starting to see the same faces.  have 6-8 minutes of comments to enter into the record.  Our home fronts along the front side of 220th St. E, west of Hampton MN, Pres of real estate firm, involved in valuation of real estate across the country, appraising thousands of properties, and will address how that’s talked about in EIS.  With respect to ascertaining market value, two primary concerns are utility and aesthetics, how useful it is and how good it looks.  More recently a third concern is safety.  Property buyers are now asking how safe it is to buy and own a particular piece of real estate.  Most of us have heard about health concerns about contaminated real estate, asbestos, petroleum tanks, and we’ve become educated about hazardous chemicals, and what was acceptable 20 years ago is not acceptable now.  Public is learning about a new pollutant that can affect our real property — EMF.  Magnetic fields increase chances of leukemia, cancer, alzheimers, and while we don’t know the precise mechanism, we know about EMF.  We have the internet to find information… market analysis will also take into account powerlines, whether it is safe, and will take into account aesthetic and health impact.  The ugliness factor is easy to appreciate.  Property value likely to drop 10-20%,  up to 200 feet a decrease of 20-40%, and if closer than 200ft, discount of 50% or more.  Rather than take the easy approach simply because that’s what CapX 2020 utilities drew as their line, take the approach that has the least impact.  We support alternate routes 6B3 and 6B6.

Pengsan Ou (?) – Cambodian Order Society, in Hampton. We strongly oppose the proposed route that runs along 220th Street, either on our temple or near our temple.  We’ve been there since 1988, and have 10 people living in the area permanently.  I would like to note that every year we have people come together at the temple 7-8 times during the year, between 500-1,000 come together to pray, plus occasional gatherings for meditation and about Bhuddism.  We agree totally with statements of Robert Johnson, we understand the impacts to our people, and thousands and thousands come.  I believe among the residents along Hwy. 50, we are the largest in number.  We studied the map of the proposed route, we strongly oppose the route, not looking for the perfect one, looking for something that is better than the proposed one.  The Alternate route 6 would be better.

Scott Ek – we are aware of your temple and received over 800 green postcards, I have a stack.

Alan Muller -  Beginning at back, Appendix F, Table 1, health and EMF was of most concern, property value and compensation next.  Tried to pay attention to how these are treated.  This reads like a promotional document, issues are not addressed very seriously.  Purpose of this meeting is to take comments on this document, I think it’s a Turkey.  I learned recently that the Chair of the PUC is chair of Upper Midwest Transmission Development Initiative, he made a presentation that I saw.

p. 2.0 – what is CapX 2020.  What is its business structure, what are we dealing with here.

Sales are down 50%, take the promotional language out of the EIS unless you’re prepared to defend it

Scott Ek – you’re straying into the Certificate of Need.  That provides a background of how we got to where we were, simply to provide information on what has happened

Alan Muller – p. 4.5  Underground lines require additional equipment for voltage rise.

Following page, discussion of underground crossings, several paragraphs about down side, and no discussion of advantages, there ought to be a balance.

Page 5.0 Eminent Domain – landowners can have a third party evaluate.  Went to legislative committee meeting recently.  A more balanced and accurate discussion is called for.

P. 6.1 Visual Impact – difficult to predict whether transmission line would alter viewshed.  Take these out and have a more balanced discussion.

EMF – make distinction between electric and magnetic which often doesn’t happen.  P. 6.4, frequency of EMF, the fundamental frequency of the system is 60 hZ, and a lot of people think that the higher frequency is more firmly tied to health impacts.  Inaccurate.

Electric field strengths and pacemakers – for one type, the field strength on center line is two to three times that which could screw up operation of pacemaker.  What does that mean?  Should people with pacemakers stay away, move, have ambulance standing by?  You ought to address the dangers.

Scott Ek – addressed at 6.8 – because every implantable device, pacemaker, insulin injector, it’s going to be different, what is there is provided by Guidant, Medtronic, it would be smart to go to your doctor to find out what you should be doing.  It’s not up to me, the State of Minnesota, they need to find out for themselves.

Oxides of Nitrogen – saying it would not cause violations, but ought to include more meaningful information.  Worst case scenario .0007 ppm, .08 ppm is standard.  Would be good to know the actual amounts of emissions.

P. 6.11 – Corona discharge and electrical interference – FM radio broadcasting range.  Acknowledges that EMF is present at range above 60hZ, would be helpful to have some discussion of the frequencies produced by this project.

Property values, already discussed, quote “Solom” hired by NSP, “virtually NO impact present with transmission line,”  ought to be removed.  In this, some benefits, like “a mowed right of way might bring more white-tail deer in the area.”

Jennifer Mackinnon – during permit process, it’s my understanding that the state requires the applicant to make note of designated routes and alternate routes, and the terminology concerns me because I feel that a lot of people look at the “alternate route” that was proposed and they have a sense that it isn’t going to happen, and it appears that whoever crys the loudest, whoever whines the loudest, is the one that doesn’t have it on their land.  We have the tributary for Vermillion river 30 feet from our well, and we have not had a lot of help from state, county, government.  As a health care professional, we have to get informed consent before we do something that will effect their health, well-being.  The language doesn’t reflect that this alternative route may happen.  There was the question of what CapX 2020 means, I have neighbors in their 80s who believe it won’t happen until 2020.  We need more information about risks, before choosing options.

Scott Ek – “alternative” and “preferred” we struggle with that, it could be confusing.  Throughout the siting and routing process, and actually in rule, that’s how it’s stated, “preferred” and “alternative” route.

Doug Kruder  – 220th street, on corner of Blaine and Hwy. 50, proposed primary route goes across part of our pasture, 250 ft from front door.  We’ve been there since 1987.  Want to make sure everyone is aware there’s a stretch of wetland going from the pond on the South side of Hwy 50, kitty corner through my property, follows Hwy. 50 and feeds into the Vermillion.  Right now Dakota Electric is burying line, I’m building a runway for experimental aircraft, and the route would be right over my runway. Our “choices” will be to take our chances and try to sell it, or getting cancer or ???  At the very least, instead of running this across the middle of fields, if there is dairy there, bury it, but keep it away from the houses and the people who live in it.  Wetlands, and runway.  The FAA has a designated case number, done within a month.  220th street.

David Mumm – Preferred line parallels the crude oil pipeline, and I was under the impression that that’s not supposed to be acceptable.  What’s the story on that.

Scott Ek – that’s supposed to be OK, to run them, they won’t be sharing the right of way.  Drawings would be finalized, survey, soil boring, analysis, engineering work, submit to PUC the profiles showing pole placement, etc., we’d review those and assure it meets permit requirements.

David Mumm – what the distance requirements are, when will that be done?

Scott Ek – no that’s not in the EIS, we’ll work with MNDOT, I don’t know what minimum distance.  I know pipelines are designed for being near induced currents, to not have something fatal happen.

David Mumm – Now that we have it in the record, we will address that in the final EIS and give you an exact number.  It could be moved 150 feet and be further into your property, I understand where you’re coming from.

Warren Quinnell – I sympathize with Mr. Edwards, it’s going to be neighbor against neighbor.  I make my living farming, I said to Craig (Poorker), I’ve got three center pivot irrigators here, and your line wants to go through the center of my fields.  I make my living out of farming, and if you go through here, that takes my living away.  When you were reading about CapX, we got notice that Otter Tail Power is pulling out of CapX.

Bev Topp – Go to Powerlinetruth.org and you can read more about what we’re doing.  Whether or not these two easements will overlap, we won’t know until you get to the evidentiary hearing, they can overlap, it is OK.

Nick Zinel – Put on the record, that I oppose the alternative route.  It’s unfortunate, we’re all in the same position, we’ll see the powerline two times, we’ll see it two times, in my front yard and in my back yard, and it goes to that value of seeing it, and I want it on record, we’re all in the same boat.

Bob Johnson – process questions.  In drafting and working through EIS process, is it the assumption that the powerline is going through?  Assumption made, a given?  Theortically..

Scott Ek – The PUC has said the site is needed, and now after scoping, after the additional routes, we’ve put them in the draft EIS, we’re assuming it will go through at this point.  We have no control over PUC, I compile all information from this process, and we have no control over what they decide.

Bob Johnson – Pretend that CapX utility partners woke up and found that the demand across their system had gone to zero and would stay there forever.  What you’re doing continues on regardless, you have no decisions with respect to need, just EIS with respect to routing?

Scott Ek – Yes, that is correct.  Nothing to do with CoN – whatever happens, I don’t follow it, if something happens, the applicant could pull it, and we will keep going until we’re told to stop it.

Bob Johnson – I was asked a question by a landowner, whether lines are built, if for some reason the decision was made that some part did not need to be built or did not need to be built.

Ray Kaufenberg – What is the deadline for filing a Petition for Intervention?

Scott Ek – October 26th.

Ray Kaufenberg – When did affected landowners receive notice of this deadline?

Scott Ek – Don’t have cover letter to when it was sent out, it would have been May 7th?  I’ll have to look it up.  Prehearing, with ALJ, sets that schedule and OAH sents that out.

Ray Kaufenberg – So the deadline, when I learned about it, was with this mailing

Scott Ek – You’ll have to talk to the judge about this.

Ray Kaufenberg – a few things to suggest, count of houses, it’s still inconsistent with the hand count submitted to you based on their application maps.  Review house count maps, before next ALJ meeting.  I participated in ATF meeting, and know you received input on one factor to anlayze, the impact of fairness, yet as I look through the book I see nothing there.  Fairness in route process, fairness in negotiations and acquisition, fairness in data.  Table of most important issues, “Fairness” isn’t in there, and it was omitted.  ATF spent considerable time talking about moving Lake Marion substation further south, but there’s nothing in there about moving it.  People spent time, researched these things, and you ignored them.  It was presented to public that the look of these would be rust colored, a contrast against sky, it was brought up that you could use colored poles that blend in, yet under mitigation, there’s no discussion of colored poles.  That’s the most obvious mitigating factor to aesthetics.  Human Settlement, no disucssion about impact on property values and impact of farming in terms of ongoing monetary compensation.  Shared sacrifice dividends was discussed, people spent time writing this up, going to the meetings, and you blew it off.  Received a lot of alternatives, I looked in EIS book, and in section 7 as rejected alternative routes, the only thing about PAK-001 multiple, which means multiple people suggested it, it only says, “this alternative has more impacts relative to criteria considered than route segment is attempting to replace.”  There were many impacts discussed point by point, all came up less, but you say more impacts.  That’s either straight out falsehood or it that means that something is going on here that the public should be aware of.  Have some outside company finish this because it’s not getting done.

Scott Ek – The final EIS will not be issued until January 8.

Ray Kaufenberg – Final decision by PUC March or so…

CAO: Comments to ALJ open until January 15k 2009.