Carroll Electric asks public's input on new high-power line

Several citizens attended an open house at the Golden, Mo., community center Wednesay given by Carroll Electric Cooperative on a proposed high-voltage transmission line that will run from the Holiday Island substation to the substation in Viola, Mo. Below is a map of the proposed routes Carroll Electric presented. Kathryn Lucariello / Carroll County News

GOLDEN, Mo. -- Carroll Electric Cooperative Corporation has proposed building a 69 kV aboveground high-power transmission line from its Holiday Island substation in northwestern Carroll County to its Viola substation in Barry County, Mo.

The co-op held an "open house" Wednesday at the Golden Community Center. Officials from Carroll Electric said they had sent out 75 letters to property owners who might be affected by the construction.

The approximately 10-mile line will run 100 feet wide in a generally rural setting, said engineers from Finley Engineering Co. out of Jefferson City, Mo. Poles will be about 70 to 80 feet high and have three conductors each.

In their environmental assessment, Carroll Electric said, "The primary need for the project is to meet increasing demand for electrical power surrounding the Shell Knob and Golden, Missouri regions and provide a tie point for a future Golden Substation."

They said the area had seen an 8-percent increase in population between 2000 and 2006, and the existing line, built in the 1950s, is nearing capacity.

The project will close a loop that goes from substations located in Holiday Island, Osage Creek, Carr Lane and Viola, Mo., with the Shell Knob substation beyond Viola serving as the primary hub for electrical power in the area.

"Without an alternative supply to create a loop, the system is subject to de-energization from weather events, accidents and maintenance of the single supply line," the report stated. "In addition, the proposed line would provide a tie point for a future substation in the rapidly growing Table Rock Lake area. The proposed transmission line has been strategically routed to accommodate future expansion with minimal additional impact on the surrounding communities and the environment."

The initial proposal looked at three possible routes for the line, with one going directly to the Shell Knob substation by crossing two wide bends in the White River/Table Rock Lake. Carroll Electric officials said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers objected to those aerial crossings. Although submarine burial of the line was considered, it was rejected due to costs associated with getting materials to the site.

The other two routes are under consideration. Each would cross the river once at a narrower bend.

The environmental assessment found no negative impacts to water quality, endangered species, soils or indigenous sites. Two farmsteads are located near but outside the project area, and do not appear to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the reported noted.

The environmental assessment did not address exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF).

Carroll Electric officials said EMF radiation would run about 9 mg (milligauss) directly under the line and 3 mg in the right-of-way. At the open house, they had a meter showing EMF readings of common household appliances, some of which read in the 100 mg range.

Attendees at the open house were asked to fill out a survey of their response to the project. The survey asked them to rank several factors: loss of trees; proximity to parks, buildings, homes, commercial areas, historic sites and existing roads; visibility of the line; magnetic fields; cost; and reliability of electric service.

The survey also asked which land use areas attendees prefer the line to be located at, any information about issues affecting any segment of the line and how they felt about the project and the way it was presented.