RICHMOND — The State Corporation Commission (SCC) will conduct hearings at four local sites this summer to hear public comments on two applications to construct separate segments of a proposed 500-kilovolt transmission line to serve northern Virginia. Local hearings in July and August will be held over two consecutive days at each location in Warrenton, Bristow, Winchester, and Front Royal.
Earlier this year, the SCC received the two applications for the proposed 93-mile transmission line project that runs from the Virginia-West Virginia border in Frederick County to a substation in Loudoun County. The western 28-mile segment from the West Virginia border is proposed by Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company (TrAILCo). The eastern 65-mile segment to Loudoun County is proposed by Dominion Virginia Power and TrAILCo.
The two segments are the eastern end of a proposed 240-mile line that originates in southwestern Pennsylvania and continues through West Virginia to Virginia. In Virginia, the proposed route for the line travels through Frederick, Warren, Fauquier, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Prince William, and Loudoun Counties. An alternate route would use Interstate 66 right of way from Warren County to Loudoun County.
The Commission will render a decision on the need for each segment of line. The SCC must also establish appropriate conditions to minimize any adverse environmental impact of each line. The Commission has asked for legal memorandums on whether Virginia law permits or requires the Commission to consider the regional need for the facilities proposed in Virginia.
The first local public hearing will be in Warrenton on Thursday, July 26 at the Fauquier High School auditorium. The hearing will begin at 1:30 p.m. and then reconvene at 7 p.m. It will continue Friday, July 27 at 9:30 a.m. Any person wishing to comment at any of these hearings should arrive early and sign in with the SCC bailiff.
The next local hearing will be in Bristow on Thursday, August 9 at Marsteller Middle School. The hearing will begin at 1:30 p.m. and then reconvene at 7 p.m. It will continue Friday, August 10 at 9:30 a.m.
Another local hearing will be in Winchester on Monday, August 13 at James Wood High School. The hearing will begin at 1:30 p.m. and reconvene at 7 p.m. The hearing will continue Tuesday, August 14 at 9:30 a.m.
The final local hearing will be in Front Royal on Wednesday, August 15 at the North Warren Volunteer Fire Department. The hearing will begin at 1:30 p.m. and reconvene at 7 p.m. It will continue Thursday, August 16 at 9:30 a.m.
The public hearing will resume in Richmond on Monday, January 14, 2008, at 9 a.m. Additional public comments will be accepted in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street. The evidentiary hearing for the applications will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, February 25 in the SCC courtroom.
The public may view the companies’ applications and related documents during regular business hours at the SCC’s Document Control Center, First Floor, Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond. Interested persons may also access copies of the applications through the SCC’s Docket Search portal at www.scc.virginia.gov/case/.
Written public comments must be submitted by December 14, 2007. Commentors may address both cases in one submission. All correspondence must be sent to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118, and refer to case number PUE-2007-00031 and/or PUE-2007-00033.
Interested persons desiring to submit comments electronically may do so at the SCC’s website: www.scc.virginia.gov/case/. Click on the PUBLIC NOTICES link and then the SUBMIT COMMENTS button for case number PUE-2007-00031/PUE-2007-00033.
###
Case Numbers PUE-2007-00031 and PUE-2007-00033