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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Illinois Power's aggressive tree cutting tariff spawns public disapproval |
Current rating: 0 |
by Pauline Bartolone
Email: alice_redqueen (nospam) hotmail.com (unverified!)
Phone: 384-0830
Address: Urbana, IL |
06 Feb 2001
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Illinois Power is attempting to legalize its Vegetation Management Tariff. The aggressive plan could result in massive tree mutilation, causing degraded community and environmental quality of life. The Illinois Power Customers United to Save Our Trees is launching statewide campaign against the tariff. |
Illinois Power has posed a Vegetation Management Tariff to the Illinois Commerce Commission, a plan that would legally entitle the company to remove and trim trees at the company\'s disposal. The plan includes the removal of potentially tall trees within 30 feet of high voltage power lines, and within 15 feet of any voltage line lower than 34.5 kilowatts. If the tariff is passed during the hearings the first week of June, Illinois Power will reserve the right to prune or cut down trees 40 feet high that are within the \"Border Zone\", an area encompassing up to 65 feet within a power line. The corporation would not be stopped from pre-empting local control over tree cutting practices, or taking away the home owner\'s right to manage trees on their own property.
A grassroots organization called the Illinois Power Customers United to Save our Trees has formed to participate in these hearings. The group is also undergoing an education and outreach campaign to strengthen awareness and to mobilize against IP\'s tree trimming practices statewide. The IP customers united to save our trees are addressing concerns from the public input meetings in the past month, regarding environmental degradation and infringement on community quality of life.
One of these meetings, held at the Champaign City building on January 18th, such concerns about this tariff were expressed. Apparently, there have been instances where property owners were not notified of tree trimming or removal on their property, and IP employees performed buisness on their property without consent. Citiznens brought up environmental concerns such as increased air pollution due to loss of trees that filter air. Cooling costs will increase during the summer because of loss of shade and wind barriers. Lack of trees also increases land erosion, causing further ecological imbalances. Not only will the removal of trees hurt the environment, but the power lines will not necessarily be safe from damages caused by wildlife. Squirrels will have no habitat, forcing them to resort to poles and power lines to climb on and knaw at. The suggestion was made that lines be buried to avoid tree removal. Costs would be high at first, but would become economically, ecologically and socially advantageous in the long run. Accusations were made that Illinois Power was not acting in the interest of the people that it served, only so that they attain economic profit.
Illinois Power representatives tell a different story. Both Roger Bonifax, Regional Manager and Deborah Albin , Customer Service Manager have stated that the tariff is merely a formalization of the existing vegetation management practices that the company has had for years. In a recent interview with Deborah Albin, she was asked why the public has become so outraged if the proposed plan is indeed the same as it has been. She responds, \"The public is misunderstanding the tariff. They do not understand the difference between high and low voltage lines. They are still mad over past disputes with Illinois Power services.\"Deborah Albin also claims that the property owner has to give consent before any tree trimming is performed by the company. However, according to IP customers and the vegetation management document itself, property owners do not have the desision making power to override IP\'s decision to remove a tree. Illinios Power recommends customers \"plan before they plant.\" This does not take into account that trees existed before the power lines.
The Illinois Power Customers United to Save our Trees are actively seeking collaborators to prevent this tariff from being passed. Committees have been formed to organize an effective movement. For more information on how to become involved, contact Colleen Sarna or Pauline Bartolone of the Outreach and Membership committee at 384-0830. Or email Pauline@ alice_redqueen (at) hotmail.com or collen at csarna (at) yahoo.com. There will be a press conference on Wednesday, February 7th at 9am under a tree on 405 West Pennsylvania in Urbana.
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