County Makes Official Request To Bury Power Lines

The state's lead environmental agency agrees with many points that Hernando County expects a judge to consider in the approval process for Progress Energy's proposed power lines.

The need to bury the lines underground is not among them, however.

The county recently submitted a report to the state's Division of Administrative Hearings with more than a dozen conditions that the county says the Florida Department of Environmental Protection should put in place before granting the power company's request to run power lines from a proposed nuclear plant in Levy County.

DEP, in turn, has released a draft report based on the concerns raised by Hernando and other counties affected by the lines that also will be submitted as evidence for the hearing.

The department agrees with the county that Progress Energy should use existing power line corridors and rights of way when possible, minimize the impact of construction to neighbors and provide buffering as required by county code.

But the draft report does not require the power company to use underground lines or monopoles, which are less obtrusive than the massive lattice towers. The county's request to require Progress Energy to allow the county to use its right of way for its own utilities when possible also is not included.

Still, Assistant County Attorney Kent Weissinger said he's pleased with how responsive both DEP and Progress Energy have been and how the process has gone so far. Weissinger and County Administrator David Hamilton met with representatives from both earlier this month.

"I think it shows we're a in a pretty good place as far as the recommendations go that affect our residents' major concerns," Weissinger said.

Residents will get to weigh in during the hearing that will likely take place in February or March, he said.

Progress Energy released its requested power line corridors through Hernando back in May and plans to erect the new lines mainly in its existing corridors here. The company has said underground lines are prohibitively expensive, can cause significant damage to the environment and complicate repairs.

Progress Energy spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs said Monday the company plans to use the less obtrusive monopoles whenever the terrain allows.

Progress seeks to add some 200 miles of transmission lines in 10 counties. The company hopes to start construction of the new lines in 2012 and have the new plant on line by 2016.