LET’S KEEP IT THAT WAY!

Why is Franklin County At Risk?

Twenty-nine miles of Franklin County is proposed to be part of a high-power transmission project called Independence Energy Connection (IEC). Each mile of the project will have up to seven, 13.5-story towers. Along Franklin County’s 29-miles, the line would cross high-quality and long-standing agricultural land, a Class A trout stream, diverse bird and wetland habitats, a documented corridor of the Underground Railroad, more than 200 years of German history and culture, and an amazing view shed that visitors say reminds them of Bavaria, Germany. It would impact the value of residential property owners, remove acres of farmland from bearing crops, and stifle expansion of existing industry. READ MORE

FRANKLIN COUNTY IS MORE THAN A RIGHT OF WAY!

“Conservation at the landscape scale offers a means of empowering communities to conserve the interwoven fabric of resources that are so critical to our sense of place and quality of life. Despite the ever-deepening technological mask that strives to obscure this truth, our human lives are dependent upon the land on which we live.”

~ by Jon Peterson from an article called “More Than A Footpath: Thinking Across Landscapes,” appearing in A.T. JOURNEYS May-June 2014

Franklin County is not without economic development, nor is it a boom or bust economy. It is a county that worked thoughtfully to bring industry and manufacturing to the county while respecting existing industry. Franklin County sees value in ensuring that the county remains a good place to live, work, and recreate. Over the past 15 years, Franklin County has been in the top ten growing counties of the state. In some years, it was the county with the most growth. It strategically worked toward a balanced path of economic vitality and character of place, attentive to healthy growth and striving to maintain corridors of agriculture and tourism.

Learn more about Franklin County’s economy: fcadc.com

What need does the IEC project serve? First and foremost, it is not a way to get power to users that do not have power, nor is it a redundancy project. It is a market efficiency project—a cost-savings project where consumers in northern VA, DC, and Baltimore may save $10 on annual electric bills. The intent is to always give these consumers the cheapest electric available. Yet, no rate reduction was filed, so there is no guarantee of savings to electric users. The price tag of the project is $320 million.
Currently, the IEC Project is before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Both the project approval and the use of eminent domain to take land for the project will be considered. IEC is also proposed in York County PA, Washington County, MD and Harford County MD.
How did this come to be? PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization that oversees PA along with twelve other states and DC, determined there was market congestion, created a request for proposal to determine the best solution, and awarded the project in August 2016 to Transource. Transource is a partnership between American Electric Power (AEP) and Great Plains Energy (GPE) focused on the development of, and investment in, competitive electric transmission projects across the United States. At the time of PJM’s award, Transource was not a PA utility. It filed for a certificate of service and was granted utility status in December 2017, operating as Transource PA LLC.
Franklin County is at risk. It is time to consider livability. It is time to respect our landscape, protect our waters, and think about our shared future. The Franklin, York, Washington, and Harford Counties of the U.S. have the right to not be urban, to keep and use farmland to grow food; to maintain heritage, culture, and scenic views; to work for a balanced economy, and to foster a quality of life that attracts people to live, work, and play.

Protect Our Waterways

Creeks streams, and springs are impacted by the high-power transmission project. Primary concerns relate to damage to the water as a habitat, as a source of drinking water, and as water resource to operate an agriculture business. Installation of power lines along the Falling Spring is a concern to anglers and naturalists. The Falling Spring is one of the high-quality trout streams on the east coast of the U.S. Many of the people, who live along the path of the IEC transmission line are concerned that blasting of the bedrock to install the towers can damage and/or contaminate the underground springs that are the source of their well water.

Franklin County is a karstic area with underground drainage systems, ravines, and caverns. Development of sink holes and change to the drainage of underground water systems are legitimate concerns.

Preserve Our Farmland

The construction of the towers and the management of vegetation in the right of ways offers many complications for farmers. The overall construction phase can compact the soil and limit crops’ roots to grow as well as create drainage problems.

With the addition of towers in planted fields, it interferes with maneuvering field machinery and planting in the most efficient patterns. It takes a piece of land but increases the amount of time to plant, care for, and harvest the crop. II also increases the difficulty of moving irrigation equipment.

Soil mixing, erosion, and rutting are all associated with transmission tower construction and can greatly affect future crop yields. Trees that serve as windbreaks and are removed can also increase erosion, particularly wind erosion. Soils not treated properly during the construction phase will have a reduced yield for years after the power line is built. With the persistent need to keep vegetation and trees away from the power line, there are ongoing issues for farmers.

Farmland is a finite commodity.

Nurture Our Children

The IEC West high voltage power line passes directly behind Falling Spring Elementary, home to about 275 Kindergarten through fifth grade students. Falling Spring Elementary is a National Blue Ribbon School, recognized for the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content. It has an environmental center on the school grounds and a school garden.

Our children are the future.

Enjoy Our Recreation

The Chambersburg Tim Cook Cross Country Course adjoins the Falling Spring Elementary School and offers a challenging run of up to three miles. The course honors the memory of Tim Cook, a past coach of the Chambersburg Area School District girl’s track and field coach and district math teacher. The IEC West project would take out the entire top portion of the track, thus, eliminating the usefulness of the training course.

The Falling Spring trout stream is one of Pennsylvania’s best limestone trout streams. The stream has more than $1 million invested in rehabilitating and securing it for the future. The work and care for the natural resource is why anglers can still catch a 20-inch native rainbow trout.

The view-shed of the valley is enjoyed by rock climbers of South Mountain, local walkers at Norlo Park, and hikers of the Appalachian Trail, the amazing 2,185 trail that is within eye-shot of these proposed towers. Brenton MacKaye, the father of the A.T., had a vision for an Appalachian landscape as a place where landscape, culture, and community could come together. People could have the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic value of the environment.

Let’s keep it that way!

Cherish Our Future

Franklin County is at risk. It is time to consider livability. It is time to respect our landscape, protect our waters, and think about our shared future. The Franklin, York, Washington, and Harford Counties of the U.S. have the right to not be urban, to keep and use farmland to grow food; to maintain heritage, culture, and scenic views; to work for a balanced economy, and to foster a quality of life that attracts people to live, work, and play.