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Foremost, the Pegasus Power Transmission Line Project is in direct violation of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1978 and unacceptably invasive to the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River Corridor.
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Pegasus Power Transmission Company Limited is anything but a handful of Canadian entrepreneurs. It is a heavily funded venture with large corporate interests in line. It is rumored to have the support of Governor George Pataki. We have our work cut out for us.
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Given the astronomical costs of burying the power line over such a long distance and owing to serious geological and topographical impediments, It is not likely that the project will be mostly if not entirely above ground.
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The number of unsightly towers supporting a power line over 73.4 miles might number over 200 (at 3 towers per mile). We have every reason to fear a 73-mile-long monstrosity. |
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These observations are not wild conjecture since Pegasus is not forth-coming with specific projections regarding appearance or methodology. Furthermore, nobody knows what challenges such a project might encounter.
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The Upper Delaware is the worst of all possible locations for such a power line. It was chosen by reason of its distance from larger population centers—the very reason the Upper Delaware River corridor is supposed to be protected by The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act signed into law in 1978. |
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The Hudson River Valley alternative was abandoned over “reluctance to use public highways and/or public rights-of-way for overhead transmission lines, due to the high visibility of the towers and lines.” Construction along the Upper Delaware would be many times more conspicuous, a potential intrusion of the highest magnitude.
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The pro-Pegasus propaganda delivered to our towns must be recognized for what it is. Inducements should be seriously questioned as well as promises. The reason the Pegasus requires mollification of community alarm is because the project truly is alarming.
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The proposed 500HVDC power line is to carry DC voltage. But we have no assurances that it will not converted in the future to an AC (alternating current) delivery system. . |
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In her famous book "Power over People" (Oxford University Press, New York, 1992) Louise Young points out that “…long-term exposure to radiation from power lines can cause brain cancer, childhood leukemia, as well as damage to the nervous system.” This could be the case if Pegasus, at some future time, switches the power line over to 1000HVAC.
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High-voltage power emits a continuous, audible hum, unfavorable for any natural habitat, especially for eagles. |
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Our fragile Bald Eagle population of well over 200 wintering over, and as many as 50 nesting pairs (up from only one pair in 1970) is bound to be unsettled by continuous construction for the length of the river. |
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We cannot know at this point exactly how wide a swath of clear-cut will remove the existing natural tree line. But internet photos of similar towers indicate approximately a 100-ft swath of clearing. This would eliminate a critical visual asset, the forested banks of the river.
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