Wake up and write your comments!  This is it, the deadline is TODAY!

When you send your comments to the judge, be sure to put “Brookings 08-1474” in the subject line and at beginning of comment!

SEND TO!

Judge Richard C. Luis

Office of Administrative Hearings

P.O. Box 64620

St. Paul, MN
55164-0620

fax 651-361-7936

e-mail capx.oah@state.mn.us

What to write about?  There’s a lot, some of which you know best if it’s your land, your community, that they want to run it through.

Some things that jump out at me are:

• Late or no notice that landowners are directly affected, i.e., chosen for preferred route – some notices went out as late as the end of December AFTER the public hearings were over!

• There was no Citizen Advisory Task Force for the western end of the line, despite requests, only the eastern and river crossing areas were allowed a Task Force!  Commerce did not do adequate job of promoting and soliciting input.  Should have formed Task Force and notified necessary local governments that they should appoint members.

• Take into account US Fish & Wildlife comments, that any river crossing should be non-areial

• Take into account DOT comments: No crossing of scenic easements.

• Cost is not disclosed in sufficient detail.

• EMF levels are improperly calculated, based on utility information that was not independently verified, despite provision of information that should lead them to KNOW that modeling results are WAY LOWER than potential EMF levels.

• Focus was on LeSueur crossing which applicant and Commerce knew or should have know was not workable.

• Focus on LeSueur kept focus off of Belle Plaine – no EIS or Public Comment Hearings were held there.  Belle Plaine probably doesn’t even know what’s coming!