Power line draft Environmental Impact Study available
November 5th, 2009After months of study, a draft Environmental Impact Study on the CapX2020 proposed 345 kV transmission power line from South Dakota to the Twin Cities is now available.
The public will have the opportunity to review and comment on the project at a series of upcoming meetings. A meeting will be held at the Brass Top Hall/Hog Wild Saloon in Henderson on Thursday, Nov. 19 from 5 – 8 p.m. A copy of the draft Environmental Impact Study is available on the Minnesota Department of Commerce Web site at and on the DOC’s eDockets Web site: (enter year “08” and docket number “1474”).
Any interested person will be allowed to participate in the public hearings by offering testimony and questioning witnesses. Any one who wishes to question a witness but does not want to ask the questions may submit questions in writing to the Administrative Law Judge, who will then ask the questions of the witness. Questions may be submitted during the hearing or mailed to the Administrative Law Judge in advance of the hearing.
The response to comments and the final Environmental Impact Study is expected in early 2010.
Randy Fordice of CapX2020 met with Sibley County Commissioners last week to give them an update on the route.
Although a preferred route and an alternate route has been designated, Fordice explained that the state evaluates both of the routes equally. Both routes would come through Sibley County.
The majority of the preferred route, from just west of Winthrop east, would be located south of Highway 19. In the Gaylord area, the preferred route would be just north of County Road 8.
The alternate route would follow County Road 10 from Highway 15, and then follow County Road 12, then just north of County Road 13 for one mile, and then continue on 220th and 206th Street.
In addition, another alternative route has been recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which would connect the proposed preferred route and alternate route. This alternate route would be located along County Road 13 in Sibley and Dryden Townships, head east along State Highway 5, and then head north about one mile west of Arlington.
Fordice said that 52 landowners were notified of this alternate route about one and a half weeks ago.
The preferred route dips into Le Sueur County and will cross the Minnesota River north of Le Sueur, near Henderson.
The alternate route runs across Sibley County and crosses the Minnesota River into Scott County, just west of Belle Plaine.
The routes have 150 foot right-of-ways. The single pole structures would have three conductors on each side. The poles would be located about 1,000 feet apart. The transmission line would operate at a higher frequency and would not interfere with cell phone reception and GPS, Fordice explained.
This 200-mile transmission line is one of four proposed to help meet electrical needs of the region. Other proposed transmission lines are Fargo-Alexandria-St. Cloud nd Monticello; SE Twin Cities – Rochester – La Crosse; Bemidji to Grand Rapids.
The utilities proposing the lines include those that serve the majority of customers in Minnesota and the surrounding region, and include investor-owned utilities, electrical cooperatives and municipal utilities.
Additional information on all CapX2020 projects can be found at www.CapX2020.com or the toll-free number 1-888-473-2279.
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