TSAWWASSEN RESIDENTS AGAINST HIGHER VOLTAGE OVERHEAD LINES
C/O 1558 – 53A Street
Delta, BC V4M 3G2
April 21, 2005
Chair and Trustees
Delta School District
4585 Harvest Drive
Delta, BC V4K 5B4
Dear Chair and Trustees:
Thank you for permitting Tsawwassen Residents Against Higher Voltage Overhead Lines (“TRAHVOL”) to appear as a delegation at the March 1st School Board meeting. We appreciated trustees’ interest in hearing about residents’ concerns and opposition to the proposal of the British Columbia Transmission Corporation (“BCTC”) to use the existing statutory right-of-way (“ROW”) for the existing 138kV overhead transmission lines through Tsawwassen as part of the route for the new 230kV high voltage overhead transmission lines to Vancouver Island (the Vancouver Island Transmission Project or “VITR” project).
We were pleased then when BCTC announced in its letter of March 17th, 2005 that it was not recommending this proposed route for the VITR project, and would use another yet-to-be-determined one. We appreciate the efforts of BCTC, the Government of British Columbia, and the Corporation of Delta in listening to residents’ concerns and in reaching this positive outcome. We continue to monitor the progress of the VITR project, and will provide input as required to BCTC, the BC Environmental Assessment Office and the BC Utilities Commission about the concerns of Tsawwassen and other South Delta residents regarding the impacts of the VITR project.
We remain deeply concerned, however, about the existing 138kV overhead transmission lines through Tsawwassen. BCTC has stated that they will remain, and will not be removed when the first of two phases of the VITR project is completed and activated in about 2008. BCTC has stated that the existing lines will remain until either the existing submarine cables across Georgia Straight fail or the second phase of the VITR project is completed in about 2018—in other words, the existing lines will remain for another 13 or more years.
Tsawwassen residents have gained considerable insight over the past 5 months into the issues surrounding high voltage overhead transmission lines and their potential impacts on human health, property values and overall quality of life. These insights, along with our heightened awareness of the existing transmission lines through Tsawwassen, continue to raise concerns among residents about the potential health and other impacts of these lines on people in schools like South Delta Secondary School, homes, daycares and extended care facilities that are on or near these lines.
We recognize that there is considerable debate in scientific circles regarding the health impacts of high voltage overhead transmission lines. We are also aware that the World Health Organization (“WHO”) recommends that “precautionary measures” be taken with the construction of any new high voltage transmission line. Consequently, we have requested BCTC to remove the existing 138kV high voltage overhead transmission lines through residential Tsawwassen, including where they cross Delta School Board property at South Delta Secondary School, as part of the first phase of the VITR project.
We recognize that cost and reliable service to the southern Gulf Islands are very important for BCTC, and that the existing 138kV transmission lines through Tsawwassen currently provide this service. We also recognize that long term costs are a very important part of project considerations. In that regard, we have submitted as part our request to BCTC two suggested options that would yield significant positive financial and other benefits to BCTC and South Delta while advancing the removal of the existing lines as part of the first phase of the VITR project.
We continue to consult with our MLA, Valerie Roddick, Mayor Jackson and Council and George Harvie, CAO for the Corporation of Delta regarding the VITR project. We have recently briefed them on our concerns about the impacts of the existing 138Kv transmission lines remaining and on the two suggested options. We have asked them to support our request to BCTC that it remove the existing lines as part of the first phase of the VITR project. We are confident that their support is forthcoming.
Similarly, we are asking the Delta School Board to support this request to BCTC. You are a directly affected party and property owner. The existing 138kV transmission lines come within 60 feet of the South Delta Secondary School building over school property, and cross Dennison Park that many students and staff use. The EMF readings that we have conducted on the school property and in Dennison Park repeatedly show levels of 30 to 75 mG beneath the existing lines and 12-14 mG at the school building wall. These levels are in excess of the 2-10 mG exposures suggested by many world wide studies.
By comparison, readings that we recently took of the 230kV transmission lines near Health Elementary School in North Delta showed levels of 2.2mG at the edge of the school yard nearest the lines (88m) and <2mG at the building wall.
We also support the concerns expressed by students about the potential “fall zone” issues associated with the existing poles and lines due to their proximity to the school.
We look forward to your supporting our request to BCTC that it remove the existing 138kV high voltage transmission lines through Tsawwassen as part of the first phase of the VITR project.
Sincerely,
TSAWWASSEN RESIDENTS AGAINST HIGHER VOLTAGE OVERHEAD LINES
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Neil Atchison, P.Eng. |
Cecil Dunn |
Cc. The Honourable Richard Neufeld, Minister
of Energy and Mines
The Honourable Tom Christensen, Minister of Education
The Honourable Stan Hagen, Minister of Children and Family Development
The Honourable Val Roddick, MLA, South Delta
The Honourable John Cummins, Member of Parliament
Chief Kim Baird, Tsawwassen First Nations
Mayor and Council, Corporation of Delta
Mr. Emery Dosdall, Deputy Minister of Education
Ms.Alison MacPhail, Deputy Minister of Children and Family Development
Mr. George Harvie, CAO, Corporation of Delta
Mr. Bob Reid, Chair, BCTC
Mr. Michael Costello, Vice Chair, BCTC
Mr. Jane Peverett, President and CEO, BCTC