Twinning of hydro transmission line leaps first hurdle with OPA approval

Hydro One received the go-ahead from the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) Monday to get the approval required to build a new hydro transmission line adjacent to the existing line running from the Bruce Power Complex through Halton Hills to Milton. The $600-million project requires approval under the Environmental Assessment Act and from the Ontario Energy Board (OEB). Gary Schneider, manager regulatory approvals with Hydro One, said they hope to have OEB approval by this fall and that it will likely be conditional on environmental assessment approval, which they hope to have by 2008. Schneider said within the next two weeks Hydro One will be sending out information packages and letters about the project to affected landowners along the line and public information centres will be held in this area in Acton and Erin in May. The Acton centre will be held Wednesday, May 9 at the Royal Canadian Legion from 4 to 8 p.m., and the one in Erin will be Tuesday, May 8 at the Community Centre, also from 4 to 8 p.m. Schneider said Hydro One will be "initiating discussions" with landowners in the near future and plans to continue those discussions throughout this year, however, he said they won't be able to begin negotiating until they have OEB approval. Hydro One plans to acquire the land required mostly through easement agreements with the landowners, and due to the urgent need for the line it would be seeking approval to acquire the land through expropriation. Schneider said 46 landowners are affected in Halton Hills. In total 400 landowners are impacted by the project along the whole line and there may be 20 to 30 properties with houses that fall within the corridor expansion area-- 175 to 200 ft. east of the existing line. He didn't know how many properties were in that situation in Halton Hills. "In those cases we would be offering a buy-out option," said Schneider. In cases where there is a barn or an out building in the corridor, Schneider said they would offer to move it elsewhere on the property. When asked about homes that are not in the expanded corridor, but right beside it, Schneider said they would be looked at "case by case." The proposed 180 km, 500 kV transmission line, is the largest expansion to Ontario's transmission system in 20 years and is planned to be in service by December 2011. The new line is to increase the province's transmission capacity and allow for greater access to renewable energy and nuclear power from the Bruce region. Anyone with questions or concerns about the project can call the Project Hotline at 1-877-345-6799. More information is also available at www.hydroonenetworks.com/brucetomilton.