Sturgeon County Residents Express Concerns Over Heartland Transmission Project
January 1st, 2010 |
A letter to the editor in the Edmonton Journal highlights the concerns expressed by Sturgeon County residents over the Heartland Transmission Project. The authors of the letter, Al and Phyl McKenzie, have invested 35 years of farming on a ranch they own in the area. Although “information sessions” were conducted for residents by transmission project leaders Epcor and AltaLink, the McKenzies contend that these sessions have not disclosed enough information on the location of proposed transmission towers. The McKenzies reported that crews engaged in surveying not only their property but also that of their neighbours. They are vehemently opposed to the construction near their home of a 200-foot tower, which would emit 500 kilovolts of power.
Of greater concern is the possible ecological damage that might be incurred by the tower’s presence in a government-sanctioned wildlife area. The transmission line is intended to deliver power to industries in Strathcona as well as Sturgeon County, although the proposed Enmax power plant is said to be able to serve the southern portion of the province for the present time. The McKenzies believe that although the tower line applications have not yet been authorized, approval of the $10 billion project by the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board seems inevitable.
It seems like there is no easy answer to this debate. Erring on the side or caution is the approach I usually take, but I’m sure others are not so level headed. Do we the power upgrade that badly? Or is this another government make work project for the area.
Patrick Milligan
Sturgeon County Homes
