Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 6, 1992 TAG: 9203060363
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
About 225 people turned out to hear pros and cons at the forum sponsored by a Virginia Tech student environmental group.
They heard from Charles Simmons, vice president of Apco, which wants to build a 765,000-volt line from West Virginia to Cloverdale to meet customer demand by the turn of the century.
Simmons stressed that if the line isn't built, any problem with other transmission lines could seriously affect all Apco customers south and east of Charleston, W.Va.
"Do we want electric power? Then we have to build the lines to transmit it," Simmons said. And Apco's responsibility is to provide reliable electricity for its customers, he said.
The audience also heard from two of the power line's arch-opponents - West Virginia residents Bob Zacher and Jim McNeely, who represent a group called ARCS.
They charged that Apco and its parent company, American Electric Power, are trying to become the central hub for sending power from Midwest power plants to the Eastern Seaboard.
They also said the line would devalue property, derail tourism promotion efforts in the job-starved region and cause environmental damage and possible health problems.
McNeely harshly criticized statistics and statements in Apco's application to build the line. The State Corporation Commission and West Virginia both must approve the line.
At one point, Bill Tanger, a panelist and Roanoke public relations man hired by Apco, called McNeely's comments "hogwash." Later, an opponent called Tanger a "pit bull environmentalist," at which everyone, including Tanger, laughed.
The four panelists are not strangers to each other, having hashed over the issue in public and private many times in the past year since the controversy heated up.
The audience appeared evenly divided on the issue, some clapping for power-line opponents and some, many apparently Apco employees, applauding the company.
"Could the line go underground?" asked one school-age girl.
Simmons answered that it probably could, but it would cost about 15 times as much and cause greater environmental harm.
He was also questioned by the audience on the use of herbicides to keep the route clear, compensation to landowners for lost property value, and energy conservation to avoid the need for more power lines.
Simmons said Apco doesn't plan to use aerial spraying, and would try to use creative landscaping techniques to cut down the need for clearing the route of trees and brush.
He also said Apco would pay the fair market value to landowners for easements on their property.
And lastly, he said, Apco has an excellent conservation program, including insulating homes and doing home energy audits and promoting heat pumps.
"Perhaps it will eliminate the need for the next line," but not for the one currently proposed, he said.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.