THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 7, 1994 TAG: 9407070501
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Virginia News
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: ROANOKE LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
The Jefferson National Forest on Wednesday proposed alternate routes for Appalachian Power Co.'s high-voltage power line, including one that takes the project completely off federal lands.
The federal government must approve the project because Appalachian Power's proposed 116-mile route from Wyoming County, W.Va., to suburban Roanoke would cross the national forest, the Appalachian Trail and the New River.
The Jefferson National Forest is examining the environmental impact of the power line and based the alternative routes on concerns raised at public hearings that began in 1992.
Some people complained that the power line would spoil some views from the Appalachian Trail or other recreational areas. Others said it would diminish wildlife and plants in an unfragmented section of forest or endanger water quality.
When the agency's team of foresters, landscape architects and scientists deemed a concern ``significant,'' it came up with a route around the problem area.
The Jefferson National Forest is holding more public hearings on the alternative routes this month and ultimately could support Appalachian Power's route or any hybrid route. It also could decide that no route sufficiently minimizes national forest crossings, said Joy Berg, supervisor of the forest.
William Bilenky, a Richmond attorney representing power line opponents, said an alternative route could force Appalachian Power to restart the process of getting the $245 million project approved.
Bill Tanger, a consultant to the utility, said the consideration of new routes ``will bring in a whole new batch of NIMBY's,'' residents who don't want a power line built in their areas, or ``not in my back yard.''
But Appalachian Power spokesman Dick Burton said the utility believes regulators will approve its propose route for the line.
The utility hired a study team from Virginia Tech and West Virginia University to draw a route with the least impact on the environment. The route goes through Wyoming, Mercer, Summers and Monroe counties in West Virginia and through Craig, Roanoke and Botetourt counties in Virginia.
The map of the national forest's alternatives looks something like a cat's cradle made of string.
Three routes divert from Apco's preferred route in Athens about 10 miles west of the New River. One heads due south into Giles County and then east into Montgomery County a few miles north of Blacksburg. Another draws a bead on Roanoke and the middle route crosses the New River along bridges and current power lines in Narrows and Pearisburg. Another set of alternative corridors branch out from Apco's proposed route in Craig County. by CNB