Mission Viejo, Calif., Residents Decide on Burying Overhead Power Lines

Oct 18 - The Orange County Register

Oct. 17--MISSION VIEJO, Calif. -- The price of protecting a good view in north Mission Viejo: $10.8 million.

More than 5,000 residents might pay to preserve their views and bury 3.1 miles of power lines that Southern California Edison is planning to string behind their back yards. They'll find out after a public hearing Monday -- the last day to cast their votes on forming a special assessment district to pay for the project.

Last year, residents organized to fight Edison's plan to install H-frame towers along the company's right-of-way, where smaller electricity poles already stand. The group -- No Overhead Powerlines by Edison -- lobbied the California Public Utilities Commission to require the lines be buried, arguing towering overhead lines decrease property values and might cause health hazards.

Then the City Council struck a deal with Edison -- less than a month before CPUC approved Edison's above-ground plan. If the 5,069 residents who live near the power lines are willing to foot the bill as part of a special assessment district, Edison agreed to install the lines underground along a different route, under city streets.

City officials will tally the votes after a 6 p.m. public hearing Monday at City Hall.

QUESTION: Why are the lines needed?

ANSWER: The area's growing demand for power could overload existing power lines as early as September, Edison's regional manager for public affairs, Frank Wasko, said.

Q: What health concerns did residents have?

A: Adding power lines near their homes would increase their exposure to electromagnetic field rays, they said. For more than a decade, national and international health organizations have studied a possible link between EMF and cancer.

According to the National Institute of Environmental and Health Services, which in 2002 published results of its EMF studies and a comprehensive review of past international and national research, some have found a weak association between measured EMF fields and childhood leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The studies show no link to other forms of cancer.

Edison officials say the towers would decrease EMF exposure because, among other things, they would be placed farther from homes than the existing poles.

Q: Why won't Edison pay?

A: The terrain along Edison's right of way made it impossible to bury the lines there, and burying the lines under public streets wouldn't be cost-effective, Wasko said.

Q: Why is the city involved?

A: Said Councilman Lance MacLean, "On the advice of our attorney and when it became clear that the CPUC was going to approve the project as it was -- with overhead lines -- we wanted to preserve the right of the residents to still be able to put the power lines underground," if they chose to form an assessment district.

Q: How much will residents pay?

A: From $10 to $300 a year for 20 years, or one lump sum payment of $154 to $3,083. Each property owner's obligation is calculated based on the effect the above-ground lines would have on each property's view.

Q: What's next?

A: Construction will begin immediately after the election and take about a year.

Register news researcher Michael Doss contributed to this report.

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