Last week, Hardy County’s Local Emergency Planning Committee held its regular quarterly meeting. These county-based working groups go over potential emergency threats to the region and facilitate planning to address them.
The June 2 meeting, the second of the year, had covered a number of local problems. This included issues of trespassing and loitering in the area of a newly established homeless shelter in Moorefield. Minutes from the meeting stated “this seems to be an ongoing problem for the Town and its officers.”
Also, Logan Moyers from the Public Service District in June had reported that they would soon color code fire hydrants to indicate flow rates.
The August meeting opened with Paul Lewis from the Office of Emergency Management sharing that classes for emergency services related fields will likely resume in the fall.
Greg Greenwalt then shared information on progress with the coming MN8 solar farm planned for Old Fields. Greenwalt stated that MN8 would respond to requests for updated project information at the August 11th meeting of the Hardy County Planning Commission. While the Planning Commission also had a meeting the same night as the LEPC, Greenwalt told all that the solar farm was not on the agenda.
Officials queried whether the farm would have extensive battery storage capability. Greenwalt answered “that’s an ongoing discussion.” While some had expressed concerns about decommissioning, “we won’t have the ability to regulate that part” because State law placed that under the purview of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
Lewis also asked about the number of trained personnel in hazardous materials response. Fire service representatives responded with Moorefield Volunteer Fire Department noting its verbal agreement with Pilgrims for mutual assistance.
He added that the month of July saw 900 911 calls, “about 200 more than normal. Law enforcement was busy.” Lewis explained that traffic stops generally account for about 200 calls alone during a month.
A representative of First Energy was on hand. It is the general practice for that company to send a representative to LEPC meetings with power service and lines integrated tightly into emergency management needs and concerns.
He was asked to share information about the Valley Link project. First Energy, along with American Electric Power and Dominion, is a co-owner of the project. The project will run for 260 miles between the John Amos Power Plant near Charleston, one of the larger coal-fired plants in existence, through West Virginia to Frederick, Maryland.
The representative assured the LEPC that the transmission line project will “have no battery backup, no energy storage.”
Part of the project includes a substation that was originally described as going to “the upper end of Moorefield.” Fran Welton inquired how close to town the station would be, but on further explanation it was better described as being placed in Old Fields. Greenwalt shared “It’s on the Judy property already zoned industrial, seven or eight miles down the road” and stated that LEPC should “be aware” of it.
The First Energy representative referred the LEPC to the website VLtransmission.com and explained that serves as a source for information and updates on the project, with an expected completion date of 2030 or 2031.
Valley Link held listening sessions in every county along the proposed route, taking in public input. The representative stated “We learned a lot” and “will try to come up with some routes and be back to chat in November at another open house.” Final determination will come from the West Virginia Public Service Commission later this year.
One of the reasons for the uproar in some areas lay in the fact that Valley Link contacted anyone who could conceivably be affected along any of the possible routes, including anyone within 1,000 feet. “It’s still up in the air” where the route will eventually run, but along the entire 260 miles it will be one route extending 200 feet in width. “We affected a lot of people along the way,” he said, while noting their due diligence.
Greenwalt stated “they put out a lot of good information.”
Photo Cutline: Proposed possible Valley Link routes through Hardy County. None are established as of yet. The final routes will be revealed in November. Image courtesy of vltransmission.com
