Power Lines Replace Pines as Tree Cuts Wreck Westchester Views
By Elizabeth Stanton
March 31 (Bloomberg) -- Westchester County homeowners are learning the price of keeping the lights on.
Some residents have new views of the steel-lattice towers that carry power lines through Westchester, which is the closest northern suburb to New York and has the highest median home price in the state. Oaks, maples and beeches that veiled a highway for decades are being chopped down.
“I know what time it is by the sound of the traffic,” said Amy Kupferberg, who estimates that 350 fresh tree stumps behind her family’s century-old farmhouse in Greenburgh hacked as much as $1 million off its value. “This whole neighborhood has been redefined by this.”
Consolidated Edison Inc. dispatched chainsaws and wood chippers in October to comply with a state regulatory order to clear foliage from beneath high-voltage transmission lines. The record blackout in August 2003, which cut power to 50 million people in the Northeast and Canada, was blamed on overgrown trees in Ohio.
“We completed a three-year cycle of tree cutting near transmission and distribution lines,” said Allan Drury, a spokesman for Con Edison, which supplies electricity to most of the county and New York City. “Some of the work involved taking down more trees than had been taken down in previous cycles.”
To some residents, that’s an understatement.
“A lot of people feel they went way overboard,” said Paul Feiner, Greenburgh’s town supervisor. “They did a massive clear-cutting of trees that wouldn’t impact the wires.”
Quick Disappearance
A backyard view of beautiful trees helped Mathew Peringattu, 46, a nuclear medicine technologist, choose his house in Yonkers. His family moved into the $514,000 home in December. A month later, he said, the trees were gone.
Dozens of constituents have complained to State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, said Betsey Ball, her chief of staff. Their concerns include noise, light pollution, wind damage, erosion and flooding that may occur, she said.
Loss of native hardwoods also may allow invasive trees, shrubs and vines to take hold, said Aaron Schmidt, Greenburgh’s environmental planner and forestry officer.
“We understand people are unhappy to lose trees, but they’d be even more unhappy to lose power,” Drury said. Earlier this month, a storm with winds as high as 70 miles (110 kilometers) an hour dumped 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 centimeters) of rain in the region and uprooted trees. It left 82,000 customers without electricity for as long as six days, Drury said. If some trees hadn’t been trimmed or removed, they could have fallen on transmission lines and made the situation worse, he said.
Blackout Trigger
Contact between overgrown trees and transmission lines in northeastern Ohio caused the 2003 blackout, according to the U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force, which investigated it. National standards for plant growth under transmission lines, enforced by the North American Electric Reliability Corp., took effect in 2006. Last year’s third quarter was the first in six years with no transmissionline power failures caused by vegetation, according to agency data.
“A handful of trees could knock out power to New York City,” said Gerry Cauley, the agency’s chief executive officer. While the national standards don’t require utilities to cut trees to the ground, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea, he said. Contractors were hired to clear trees from 41 miles of transmission-line corridor in Westchester, Con Edison’s Drury said. “How they do it in many ways is up to the utility company,” said Stewart-Cousins, the state senator. She introduced legislation requiring the companies to inform communities of their maintenance plans. “There’s nothing that tells any utility that they have to do clear-cutting.”
Drop in Price
Kupferberg, 44, said her mother put their house on the market for $2.85 million almost a year ago, when the Sprain Brook Parkway was barely visible or audible. The road carries about 93,000 cars a day through Greenburgh, according to the New York State Department of Transportation. She awoke Nov. 17 to the sound of chainsaws, and hundreds of trees were felled within two weeks, Kupferberg said. The house now is listed for $2.35 million and hasn’t drawn any bids.
The median home price in Westchester peaked at $685,000 in 2007 and fell to $607,500 in February, according to the New York State Association of Realtors. The county’s median household income was $75,000 in 2006, fifth-highest in the state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The change in value depends on whether a home becomes exposed to highway views or noise or only to views of electrical towers, said Robert J. Flower, whose Robert J. Flower & Co. in Bronxville, New York, has appraised Westchester real estate since 1974.
Tower Stigma
“There’s a stigma attached to having your property abutting or overseeing these electrical towers,” Flower said. “If they were losing 10 percent before because it was there, they’re losing another 10 to 15 percent because it’s now been stripped.”
Charles Spiegel, a 74-year-old attorney who has lived on the same Yonkers street since 1977, figures that his property is worth 30 percent less without the weeping willows that had helped hide transmission towers “The excuse is something happened in the Midwest,” Spiegel said. “But we never had a problem here.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Elizabeth Stanton in New York at estanton@bloomberg.net
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
CONFIRMATION LETTER FROM NYSTATE DOT
I received a letter from William Gorton, P.E. Acting Regional Director of the State of New York Department of Transportation. He has confirmed that Con Edison has contacted the DOT and applied for permits to replant along the Sprain Brooke Parkway. Moreover, a representative from Con Ed has contacted me and stated that the NYSDOT has " requested additional information
from us that will require us to hire a licensed surveyor."
We are making progress but we still have a long way to go.
PLEASE KEEP THE PRESSURE ON!
DON"T LEAVE IT FOR OTHERS TO FIGHT YOUR FIGHT!
WE HAVE BEEN VERY POWERFUL AS A COLLECTIVE WHOLE.
from us that will require us to hire a licensed surveyor."
We are making progress but we still have a long way to go.
PLEASE KEEP THE PRESSURE ON!
DON"T LEAVE IT FOR OTHERS TO FIGHT YOUR FIGHT!
WE HAVE BEEN VERY POWERFUL AS A COLLECTIVE WHOLE.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
CONTINUE THE EFFORT SIGN ONLINE PETITION
Please further participate by connecting to the link below to STOP CON EDISON"S CLEAR CUTTING.
www.change.org/actions/view/stop_transmission_line_clear_cutting_in_ny_update_psc_guidelines
www.change.org/actions/view/stop_transmission_line_clear_cutting_in_ny_update_psc_guidelines
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Westchester BOL Passes Transmission Line Clear Cut Moratorium Resolution!
I wanted to share an email I received this morning from Anne Jaffe Holmes a member of Lorax and the Coordinator of School Programs & Environmental Projects at the beloved Greenburgh Nature Center
CONGRATULATIONS to members and friends of the Lorax on this great step!
Special thanks to Mark Gilliland for his tireless leadership and Chris Crane's expert guidance through the County BOL process!
Stay tuned to Mark's blog as we continue the campaign . . .
Monday, March 1, 2010
Westchester BOL Passes Transmission Line Clear Cut Moratorium Resolution!
Tonight, the Westchester Board of Legislators passed the LORAX-originated Moratorium resolution by a vote of 15-0! Special thanks goes to Legislator Abinati and the chairs of the Energy and Environment committees, as well as to Committee Counsel Chris Crane. Thanks also to LORAX members Patricia Podalack and Marvin Baum, and to friends of the working group including Amy Kupferberg who showed up tonight to speak to the legislators.
Here is the text of the statement which I gave at the meeting during the public comment period:
My name is Mark Gilliland and I live in Irvington, NY. I am the Chairperson of the Greenburgh Environmental Forum's LORAX working group - which originated the resolution before this body tonight concerning a moratorium on the transmission line right-of-way clear cutting of our trees.
Once a moratorium "time out" is in place, we have an opportunity to find a solution to current indiscriminate clear cutting - through dialog with the Public Service Commission (PSC), Con Edison and other Transmission Line Operators (such as NYSEG and O&R), as well as concerned municipal officials and the public-at-large.
This resolution further calls for the PSC to re-examine and update its 2005 guidelines for vegetation management. This time around, the required Environmental Impact Analysis must be undertaken in a fully transparent manner with both public and scientific input.
The LORAX working group is eager to work with the PSC and with Con Ed in creation of these new, environmentally-friendly and property-friendly guidelines. We are recommending the following 5 point plan as a basis of action:
1) Restitution or mitigation for homeowners and municipalities already adversely affected by the line clearings.
2) Public review and update of the original PSC 2004 SEQR filing to include a full environmental impact statement complete with alternatives and proposed mitigations.
3) Modernization of Vegetative Management guidelines for the transmission line right-of-way (ROW) to encompass the new draft federal standard FAC-003-2, allowing for a wire-zone / border-zone "tiered management" approach based upon distance from the transmission line centerline.
4) Advanced notification by utilities for all targeted property owners (private and municipal), including on-site consultations and written descriptions of proposed pruning and removals.
5) Improved training, supervision and QA of line clearing contractors.
In order to help start these important discussions with the PSC, I urge the Board of Legislators to pass the moratorium resolution tonight. Thank-you.
Posted by -mg- at 11:42 PM 0 comments
Anne Jaffe Holmes
Coordinator of School Programs & Environmental Projects
Greenburgh Nature Center
99 Dromore Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583
P: 914-813-1812
F: 914-725-6599
Please visit our new website at www.greenburghnaturecenter.org.
CONGRATULATIONS to members and friends of the Lorax on this great step!
Special thanks to Mark Gilliland for his tireless leadership and Chris Crane's expert guidance through the County BOL process!
Stay tuned to Mark's blog as we continue the campaign . . .
Monday, March 1, 2010
Westchester BOL Passes Transmission Line Clear Cut Moratorium Resolution!
Tonight, the Westchester Board of Legislators passed the LORAX-originated Moratorium resolution by a vote of 15-0! Special thanks goes to Legislator Abinati and the chairs of the Energy and Environment committees, as well as to Committee Counsel Chris Crane. Thanks also to LORAX members Patricia Podalack and Marvin Baum, and to friends of the working group including Amy Kupferberg who showed up tonight to speak to the legislators.
Here is the text of the statement which I gave at the meeting during the public comment period:
My name is Mark Gilliland and I live in Irvington, NY. I am the Chairperson of the Greenburgh Environmental Forum's LORAX working group - which originated the resolution before this body tonight concerning a moratorium on the transmission line right-of-way clear cutting of our trees.
Once a moratorium "time out" is in place, we have an opportunity to find a solution to current indiscriminate clear cutting - through dialog with the Public Service Commission (PSC), Con Edison and other Transmission Line Operators (such as NYSEG and O&R), as well as concerned municipal officials and the public-at-large.
This resolution further calls for the PSC to re-examine and update its 2005 guidelines for vegetation management. This time around, the required Environmental Impact Analysis must be undertaken in a fully transparent manner with both public and scientific input.
The LORAX working group is eager to work with the PSC and with Con Ed in creation of these new, environmentally-friendly and property-friendly guidelines. We are recommending the following 5 point plan as a basis of action:
1) Restitution or mitigation for homeowners and municipalities already adversely affected by the line clearings.
2) Public review and update of the original PSC 2004 SEQR filing to include a full environmental impact statement complete with alternatives and proposed mitigations.
3) Modernization of Vegetative Management guidelines for the transmission line right-of-way (ROW) to encompass the new draft federal standard FAC-003-2, allowing for a wire-zone / border-zone "tiered management" approach based upon distance from the transmission line centerline.
4) Advanced notification by utilities for all targeted property owners (private and municipal), including on-site consultations and written descriptions of proposed pruning and removals.
5) Improved training, supervision and QA of line clearing contractors.
In order to help start these important discussions with the PSC, I urge the Board of Legislators to pass the moratorium resolution tonight. Thank-you.
Posted by -mg- at 11:42 PM 0 comments
Anne Jaffe Holmes
Coordinator of School Programs & Environmental Projects
Greenburgh Nature Center
99 Dromore Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583
P: 914-813-1812
F: 914-725-6599
Please visit our new website at www.greenburghnaturecenter.org.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
WESTCHESTER LAWMAKERS CONSIDER CALL FOR MORATORIUM ON CON ED TREE CUTTING PROGRAM
*** COMMITTEE MEETING NOTICE ***
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2010
Contact: Christopher M. Crane | ChrisC@westchesterlegislators.com | 914-995-2104 (office)
What: The Westchester County Board of Legislators Committees on Environment and Energy will have a joint meeting discussing Consolidated Edison’s recent tree cutting along electric transmission line corridors. Both committees will, also, address legislation calling for a moratorium on Con Edison’s tree cutting program and a revision of the State’s Public Service Commission requirements
Who: Energy and Environment Committee Members
Representatives from Con Edison
When: Monday, February 22, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Where: Westchester County Board of Legislators Committee Room
148 Martine Avenue, 8th Floor
White Plains, NY
Why: Recent tree cutting and clearing along electric transmission line corridors has raised many questions and concerns among homeowners and municipalities that border these lines. Con Edison operates and manages the transmission lines, which span from Yonkers to Yorktown.
# # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2010
Contact: Christopher M. Crane | ChrisC@westchesterlegislators.com | 914-995-2104 (office)
What: The Westchester County Board of Legislators Committees on Environment and Energy will have a joint meeting discussing Consolidated Edison’s recent tree cutting along electric transmission line corridors. Both committees will, also, address legislation calling for a moratorium on Con Edison’s tree cutting program and a revision of the State’s Public Service Commission requirements
Who: Energy and Environment Committee Members
Representatives from Con Edison
When: Monday, February 22, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Where: Westchester County Board of Legislators Committee Room
148 Martine Avenue, 8th Floor
White Plains, NY
Why: Recent tree cutting and clearing along electric transmission line corridors has raised many questions and concerns among homeowners and municipalities that border these lines. Con Edison operates and manages the transmission lines, which span from Yonkers to Yorktown.
# # #
Sunday, January 24, 2010
RATE INCREASE LETTER TO THE PSC
My family has lived on Ridge Road in Hartsdale for over 50 years. As you know, Con Ed has initiated aggressive “Tree Trimming” activities in our area that has resulted in the destruction of hundreds of acres of woodlands, as well as, the use of toxic herbicides to prevent re-growth particularly on the Catskill Aqueduct areas that end up in our drinking water.
Initially we were told that this was about concerns over power outages, however, since then, we learned that Con Ed has chosen to discontinue a policy of pruning and maintenance and has adopted a new 20 year maintenance plan without any regard for the impact on the environment or the quality of life of the residents in the surrounding area. Not to mention, the economic impact on property owners, particularly in densely populated suburban areas where visual buffering can add a significant value to one’s home.
Now that the trees are gone, the noise from the highway is twice the volume. Windows closed and the morning news on all we can hear is the thousands of cars driving by. We are forced to look and hear cars from every room of the house or put up window treatments to shield the view. Our house was designed to sit on the property with nature, 77 windows provided views that I have treasured through my lifetime. Our family has maintained and preserved the 3.5 acres on Ridge Road rather than slice it up, because we felt it was important to hold off thoughtless development. What to do now...live our lives with windows closed and ear plugs in?
For many of us it seems as if it is too late, I have gone door to door over that past few weeks speaking with my neighbors and our goal now to to stop further destruction and begin a massive replanting initiative on both public and private lands. We also insist that a natural sound barrier be planted along the Spain Brook Parkway in residential areas to muffle the the sounds of constant traffic and air pollution.
The thought that Con Ed would be awarded a rate increase seems unfathomable. Looking at their earning reports over the last 5 years, it seems that Con Ed has enjoyed healthy profits. As well as, receiving 180 million in stimulus money earlier in 2009 and then another 45 Million in Smart Grid Funding.
My understanding from reading the U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force: Final Report on Implementation of Recommendations is that there were a number of causes for the 2003 blackout. While it was initially triggered in Ohio by tree limbs coming into contact with Conductors, it was also stated that these trees were in direct contact with power lines and had not been adequately managed. The conditions on that day in August could be called a perfect storm. High temperatures and windless conditions combined with increased amperage draw stressed the supply lines causing additional sagging, thus making direct contact with the poorly maintained trees. Also in the report it states that “Inadequate reactive supply was a factor in most of the events.” and “the assumed contribution of dynamic reactive output of system generators was greater than the generators actually produced, resulting in more significant voltage problems.” In other words the backup generators were not adequate to handle the amperage load or voltage needed. A lack of coordination of System Protection Programs(relays tripping), inadequate communication between Utilities, and lack of "training of operating personnel in dealing with severe
system disturbances" were also noted in the report as causes for the blackout.
Although tree contact was the initial cause of the black out in Ohio, the situation snow balled because the entire system was tenuous at best. The report stated that there were a greater number of instances of other system failures than there were instances of tree contact. I know what Con Ed has done about the trees, now I would like to know whether adequate back up generators have been installed? Has a computerized safety system been created and installed so that the utilities are aware when relays are popping? Is there an emergency protocol in place so that States can now communicate and cooperate in a coordinated effort in such an emergency? And finally, have the administrative employees and utility technicians been properly trained to deal with such a large scale blackout?
I still do not accept that Con Ed needs more money from us to update or repair a broken infrastructure. Shouldn’t that be Con Eds responsibility ? Why should it be my responsibility to maintain Con Eds equipment? Why aren’t they expected to spend their own profits to deliver a better product? In a time where the unemployment rate is above 10% and many people are close to losing their homes, it seems absurd that Con Ed would be looking for a rate increase. They stated on their web page that the a” typical residential customer paying $70 per month would see an increase of $12, or about a 17 percent rise”. But $70 per month is NOT the typical electric bill. I can tell you that my electric bill is $200+ a month since I moved back to Westchester in July and I live alone. I work a seventy hour week, and I don’t have air conditioners or leave my lights on. My Bill for November with heat added was $760.40. I have only 3 heat zones on and the thermostat is set from 63-65 degrees. Another 17 % seems out of step with our national economic outlook and is daunting at best. Moreover, as consumers we have no recourse, Con Ed the only game in town and it would seem that what they say goes. In the spirit of “CHANGE” I have testified twice about this rate increase and I ask that the Public Service Commission protect the public and deny Con Ed the rate increase. This rate increase is no different than an unruly bank industry that got us into our current recession.
I thank you for your attention and would welcome any opportunity to help further my efforts.
Respectfully,
Amy Kupferberg
Initially we were told that this was about concerns over power outages, however, since then, we learned that Con Ed has chosen to discontinue a policy of pruning and maintenance and has adopted a new 20 year maintenance plan without any regard for the impact on the environment or the quality of life of the residents in the surrounding area. Not to mention, the economic impact on property owners, particularly in densely populated suburban areas where visual buffering can add a significant value to one’s home.
Now that the trees are gone, the noise from the highway is twice the volume. Windows closed and the morning news on all we can hear is the thousands of cars driving by. We are forced to look and hear cars from every room of the house or put up window treatments to shield the view. Our house was designed to sit on the property with nature, 77 windows provided views that I have treasured through my lifetime. Our family has maintained and preserved the 3.5 acres on Ridge Road rather than slice it up, because we felt it was important to hold off thoughtless development. What to do now...live our lives with windows closed and ear plugs in?
For many of us it seems as if it is too late, I have gone door to door over that past few weeks speaking with my neighbors and our goal now to to stop further destruction and begin a massive replanting initiative on both public and private lands. We also insist that a natural sound barrier be planted along the Spain Brook Parkway in residential areas to muffle the the sounds of constant traffic and air pollution.
The thought that Con Ed would be awarded a rate increase seems unfathomable. Looking at their earning reports over the last 5 years, it seems that Con Ed has enjoyed healthy profits. As well as, receiving 180 million in stimulus money earlier in 2009 and then another 45 Million in Smart Grid Funding.
My understanding from reading the U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force: Final Report on Implementation of Recommendations is that there were a number of causes for the 2003 blackout. While it was initially triggered in Ohio by tree limbs coming into contact with Conductors, it was also stated that these trees were in direct contact with power lines and had not been adequately managed. The conditions on that day in August could be called a perfect storm. High temperatures and windless conditions combined with increased amperage draw stressed the supply lines causing additional sagging, thus making direct contact with the poorly maintained trees. Also in the report it states that “Inadequate reactive supply was a factor in most of the events.” and “the assumed contribution of dynamic reactive output of system generators was greater than the generators actually produced, resulting in more significant voltage problems.” In other words the backup generators were not adequate to handle the amperage load or voltage needed. A lack of coordination of System Protection Programs(relays tripping), inadequate communication between Utilities, and lack of "training of operating personnel in dealing with severe
system disturbances" were also noted in the report as causes for the blackout.
Although tree contact was the initial cause of the black out in Ohio, the situation snow balled because the entire system was tenuous at best. The report stated that there were a greater number of instances of other system failures than there were instances of tree contact. I know what Con Ed has done about the trees, now I would like to know whether adequate back up generators have been installed? Has a computerized safety system been created and installed so that the utilities are aware when relays are popping? Is there an emergency protocol in place so that States can now communicate and cooperate in a coordinated effort in such an emergency? And finally, have the administrative employees and utility technicians been properly trained to deal with such a large scale blackout?
I still do not accept that Con Ed needs more money from us to update or repair a broken infrastructure. Shouldn’t that be Con Eds responsibility ? Why should it be my responsibility to maintain Con Eds equipment? Why aren’t they expected to spend their own profits to deliver a better product? In a time where the unemployment rate is above 10% and many people are close to losing their homes, it seems absurd that Con Ed would be looking for a rate increase. They stated on their web page that the a” typical residential customer paying $70 per month would see an increase of $12, or about a 17 percent rise”. But $70 per month is NOT the typical electric bill. I can tell you that my electric bill is $200+ a month since I moved back to Westchester in July and I live alone. I work a seventy hour week, and I don’t have air conditioners or leave my lights on. My Bill for November with heat added was $760.40. I have only 3 heat zones on and the thermostat is set from 63-65 degrees. Another 17 % seems out of step with our national economic outlook and is daunting at best. Moreover, as consumers we have no recourse, Con Ed the only game in town and it would seem that what they say goes. In the spirit of “CHANGE” I have testified twice about this rate increase and I ask that the Public Service Commission protect the public and deny Con Ed the rate increase. This rate increase is no different than an unruly bank industry that got us into our current recession.
I thank you for your attention and would welcome any opportunity to help further my efforts.
Respectfully,
Amy Kupferberg
Saturday, January 23, 2010
ANOTHER NEIGHBOR GOING GRASSROOTS*LOOK FOR HIS HANDOUTS IN YOUR MAIL BOXES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS
CON ED’S CLEAR CUTTING
… Your Voices ARE being Heard!
So GET THIS INFORMATION TO HER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
(they will be glad to take your information over the phone, if that suits you)
Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Room 415 LOB
Albany, NY 12247
(Tel.) (914) 771-4190 (Fax) (914) 771-6045
Email address: scousins@senate.state.ny.us
If you’ve already shared your specific information with those at the Senator’s office, PLEASE continue to communicate with others. Voice your concerns. Engage your Neighbors! As the ball is just beginning to roll! All your support is needed! These people all need to know that we are together on this. So …
Call the PSC and file a complaint,
include the complaint number
on each correspondence 800-342-3377 (8:30 am - 4:00 pm)
Garry A. Brown, Chairman
NYS Public Service Commission
3 Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12223
Phone: (518) 474-6530
Fax:(518) 486-6081
Assemblyman Richard Brodsky
5 West Main Street
Elmsford, NY 10523
914-345-0432
http://assembly.state.ny.us
Assemblyman Mike Spano
35 East Grassy Sprain Rd. 4th Floor
Yonkers, NY 10710
914-779-8805
http://assembly.state.ny.us
Please cc:
Paul Feiner, Town Supervisor
Email: pfeiner@greenburghny.com
Office Tel: (914) 993-1540
Fax: (914) 993-1541
STAY INFORMED!
JOIN OUR FRIENDS AT Greengreenburgh@Blogspot.Com
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