Citizens Energy Task Force

… for a sustainable energy future

DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS ON THE SCOPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR THE LA CROSSE CAPX2020 PROJECT HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JULY 25, 2009

Posted on | July 9, 2009 |

There has been some confusion about how citizens may submit their comments about the CapX2020 La Crosse Project. Comments may be submitted by mail or electronically to:

Stephanie A. Strength
Environmental Protection Specialist/RD
1400 Independence Ave. SW Room # 2244
Washington, DC 20250-1571
stephanie.strength@usda.gov

Here are some of the kinds of points you can make.

  1. Updated forecasts of electric peak demand do not support the need for the CapX2020 ultra high voltage power line projects, including the La Crosse Project;
  2. The CapX2020 La Crosse ultra high voltage power line will cause environmental harm — including visual impacts in scenic corridors, health risks due to electro-magnetic fields, decline in property values, loss of prime agricultural land, risks to rare and endangered species, fragmentation of habitat in a national wildlife refuge, and bird mortality along the Mississippi Flyway.
  3. The La Crosse Project should be considered with other CapX2020 power lines which create the potential for transmission of coal power east from the Dakotas to load centers east of Minnesota. The environmental consequences of coal and coal pollution due to the La Crosse line result in additional adverse impacts of the project.
  4. Conservation, local generation and local transmission can solve any local reliability issues at a much lower cost to ratepayers without damaging the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge, Scenic Byways and other protected natural resources that would be impaired by the La Crosse Project and without providing transmission from distant coal plants;
  5. Taxpayers should not finance any portion of the the CapX2020 La Crosse Project through the USDA Rural Utilities Service.

UPDATE: HERE is a letter from Southeast Minnesota Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes.

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    The Citizens Energy Task Force (CETF) is a coalition of neighbors and citizens concerned about the proposed CapX2020 high voltage transmission lines in Minnesota and Wisconsin. As a legally registered "intervening party" in the CapX2020 permitting process, we represent the concerns of citizens who question the need for these particular high voltage power lines, and who support clean, sustainable, locally-generated power sources.

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