ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 19, 1997 TAG: 9704210089
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA
Tech groups sponsor showdown between AEP and opponents over major power-line proposal.
As part of the Earth Week celebration at Virginia Tech, two student environmental groups are sponsoring a debate on American Electric Power's proposed 750,000-volt transmission line.
The line would span from Wyoming County, W.Va., to Botetourt County. AEP contends the line is needed to serve its traditional customer base; but opponents say the company wants the line to sell power to East Coast customers and compete with other utilities.
The debate, sponsored by the Environmental Science Student Organization and the Environmental Coalition of Virginia Tech, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
AEP will be represented by Ron Poff, Wyoming-Cloverdale project manager, and Bernard Pasternak, manager of transmission planning from AEP's Columbus, Ohio, office. Opponents of the power line will be represented by Jeff Janosko and Cliff Shaffer, both of whom have been active with groups that oppose the project. David Parrish, a professor in the crop and soil environmental sciences department at Tech, will moderate the debate.
The debate is open to the public and a question and answer period for the audience will follow.
The debate will be held in Owens Banquet Room in Owens Hall, which is across Kent Street from the University Bookstore and the rear door of the Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center. To get to the banquet room, enter Owens Hall at its entrance closest to Kent Street.
For more information, contact Mike Schmidt, ESSO president, at (540) @232-3713 or at joschmi2vt.edu.
LENGTH: Short : 41 linesby CNB