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Legislators Gilbert and Obenshain join fight against power line; Gilbert accuses Dominion of deception on route plans
The two legislators who represent Rappahannock County in the Virginia General Assembly–Sen. Mark Obenshain and Del. C. Todd Gilbert–have joined the opposition to Dominion Virginia Power Company’s plan to run a new high-voltage power line through Rappahannock County.
Del. Gilbert, who represents Rappahannock County in the Virginia House of Delegates, announced that he will give $750 in political contributions from Dominion and Alleghany electric utilities to a new legal fund to fight the utilities move to build the 500-kilovolt electric transmission line across the county.
“What galls me the most about the latest Dominion move is the deceit it has practiced and the fraud it has perpetrated on my constituents in Rappahannock County,” the Republican from Shenandoah County said in a prepared statement.
“Before the opening of the General Assembly this year, Dominion announced another high voltage line route, through Fauquier County, among others. That decision caused an uprising by the citizens of those counties. Bills were introduced in the General Assembly restricting the choice of the route; legislative hearings were held.
“Then, during the very last days of the legislative session when no further legislation could be introduced, no hearings could be held, Dominion dropped the Rappahannock route bomb. Obviously, the earlier route selection was a straw man, a ruse, a smokescreen to hide Dominion’s real route choice until the General Assembly closed for the remainder of the year.
“I am joining the citizens of Rappahannock County in their efforts to fight the slight-of-hand Dominion high voltage line route selection. I will use the resources of my office to assist County Administrator John McCarthy, county board members and all concerned citizens to reverse the route selection. I am delighted to devote a few Dominion and Alleghany dollars to the fight,” Delegate Gilbert said.
Sen. Obenshain, in a statement released Monday, said he is asking Dominion to reconsider the need for the line and the route through Rappahannock.
Obenshain and Gilbert released the text of a joint letter they wrote Monday to Thomas Farrell II, chief executive of Dominion Power. They noted that Dominion’s decision to reroute the line through Rappahannock was made late in the legislative session without first consulting the area’s legislators. “The newly unvailed plan was a surprise to many who work, live, or govern Rappahannock County,” the legislators wrote.
The letter asked the utility to “consider alternatives to minimize the impact upon Rappahannock County, including the possibility of burying the transmission lines or replace the wires on existing towers so that they will be adequate to carry the increased load.” They asked Dominion to “work cooperatively with the elected leadership of Rappahannock County and with local citizens” to find a beneficial solution.
Gilbert and Obenshain were among several officials contacted by McCarthy recently to solicit their support in the fight against Dominion’s plan to erect a second 500-kilovolt transmission line across parts of Rappahannock, Culpeper and Fauqueir counties, using an existing right of way, which would have to be widened for the second set of tall towers.
McCarthy said Tuesday that he has not had responses yet from the others, cho included U.S. Senators James Webb and John Warner of Virginia, Rep. Eric Cantor, and Gov. Tim Kaine.
-- James P. GannonComments
Comment from monira
Time: March 13, 2007, 11:36 am
Thank you Todd for your support of our county effort to defeat this Dominion power line proposal. The RLEP power line task-force supports the resolutions and initiatives adopted by the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors and is working to line up the Rappahannock citizenry behind the county government. When the action reaches the SCC, the task force will be looking for your support of our case against Dominion Power.
–Monira Rifaat
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