Grassroots effort key to removal of transmission towers
by Lennie Roberts and Kathy Switky

For years now, nearly 100 huge electrical transmission towers that bring power to San Francisco and cities on the Peninsula have marred the beautiful views and sensitive habitats of Edgewood Park and Preserve and the Peninsula Watershed, the lands surrounding Crystal Springs Reservoir.

PG&E now proposes to make its eyesore even worse and place additional stress on the environment by building a new 230 kV transmission line with much taller towers that would entail pouring new concrete foundations and clearing a much wider right of way for access and maintenance.

To support a more elegant solution to the problem, Committee for Green Foothills is organizing a grassroots movement of a number of environmental organizations, neighborhood associations, park docents and health advocates. We are asking the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to consider an alternative proposal that would take these lines, as well as some existing lines, undergound, where they would run along existing roads.

This is a wonderful opportunity to not only prevent environmental damage from new towers, but also to restore the watershed vistas to their pre-tower glory.

PG&E proposal includes new above-ground lines
PG&E's project, dubbed the Jefferson-Martin 230 kV Transmission Line Project, would install a 27-mile long 230 kV single-circuit transmission line from the Jefferson Substation (at the southern edge of Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve) to the Martin Substation, near the Cow Palace in Brisbane.

The northern portion, running 12.4 miles from San Bruno Avenue near Skyline to the Martin Substation, is proposed to be built underground. But the proposal places the 14.7 mile southern portion of the route (from San Bruno Avenue south to the Jefferson Substation) above ground, where it would follow the existing 60 kV transmission line that crosses Edgewood Park and traverses the watershed lands.

Taller towers for new lines unsightly, impact threatened species
The new above-ground lines would require significantly taller towers with wider foundations. The replacement of the 100 existing towers (which are 80 to 100 feet high) with towers that are 95 to 100 feet high will require access for construction equipment, staging areas and space for excavated materials.

Some of the most important habitat for serpentine species - including the threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly - is below the existing towers. PG&E has even proposed new towers for "The Triangle" area bordered by 280, Cañada Road and Edgewood Road, home to several sensitive species. This proposal would impact all of these lands.

CGF leads grassroots effort
Committee for Green Foothills and a number of other organizations have defended the lands of the watershed and of Edgewood for decades. CGF began watching PG&E's proposal closely when it first submitted its application to the Public Utilities Commission in fall of 2002.

Earlier this year, CGF participated in work to determine the scope of the environmental studies required for the project to ensure that the open space concerns were included. This vigilance resulted in an astounding 1000-page Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). Undaunted, Committee for Green Foothills Legislative Advocate Lennie Roberts spent the next six weeks coordinating comments on that DEIR.

Fortunately, one of the alternatives studied in the DEIR called for undergrounding the new lines beneath Cañada Road and Skyline Boulevard as they go north through Edgewood and the San Francisco Watershed lands. The resulting "Watershed Protection Alternative" would go underground through nearly all of the watershed lands, leaving a short above-ground section between the Carolands Substation and the San Bruno Substation where impacts would be minimized due to terrain and tree cover.

Besides the obvious environmental benefits of this alternative approach - which would avoid impacts to sensitive plant and wildlife habitats - this proposal would increase safety from terrorism and vandalism, reduce impacts to neighboring communities from electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and improve operational reliability.

CGF has been spearheading grassroots support for this approach, and the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club, Friends of Edgewood, People for a Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the California Native Plant Society, Santa Clara Valley Chapter have all joined CGF in calling for undergrounding both the new 230 kV lines and the existing 60 kV lines and removing the existing towers.

Decision lies with Public Utilities Commission
The Public Utilities Commission and PG&E are now reviewing comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report. Time will tell whether they will listen to reason - and to the community - and make the decision that best balances safety, views, environmental protection, and public benefit with the need for these new transmission lines. We have reason to be hopeful, though. Over the past decade, thanks to public input, the PUC has modified every proposed transmission line route.

Speak up for habitat and viewshed protection
While the comment period on the DEIR has closed, it's not too late to let the PUC Commissioners know that the public supports the alternative proposal that includes the greatest amount of underground transmission line and avoids any disruption or incursion into the watershed.

Published October 2003 in Green Footnotes.
Page last updated November 6, 2003 .