Fairfield Residents and Business Owners Rally Against UI Transmission Line Proposal
FAIRFIELD — Residents of Fairfield are intensifying their efforts to urge the United Illuminating Company to reconsider and resubmit its application for a proposed project that could see transmission lines towering as high as 145 feet above homes and businesses.
In a proposal last year, the electric utility, which serves Bridgeport and New Haven, proposed installing monopolies between 95 and 145 feet in height along the railroad tracks and over buildings between Fairfield and Bridgeport.
While the company argues that these structures are essential to ensure electrical reliability, local residents, businesses, and town officials have taken steps to intervene in the state application process. Their concerns encompass potential permanent alterations to the physical landscape, coupled with worries regarding safety, economic impact, and environmental risks.
Many neighbors and business owners have been advocating for the company to explore the possibility of burying the transmission lines underground like they have proposed in towns of Westport and . United Illuminating Company officials have indicated that they are actively investigating this underground transmission option in collaboration with the Siting Council.
The town has applied to intervene in a United Illuminating petition aimed at replacing the power lines along the railroad. Fairfield’s intervention application highlights concerns about potential effects on scenic vistas, historic districts, removal of trees, the use of herbicides, potential harm to wetlands, and adverse impacts on property values.
In response to these developments, Senator Tony Hwang has released a statement expressing his views on the United Illuminating Company’s proposal to erect 115 kV power transmission monopoles across Fairfield and Southport.
“Overwhelming lack of trust, transparency and community accountability. Those are some of the words to describe the unified opposition and emotional frustration regarding UI’s disrespect in not listening to the community during the CT Siting Council docket #516 application process.
Universally, without exception, attendees at the Oct. 5 meeting cited UI’s lack of transparency, lack of community engagement and lack of notification process. They also pointed to the lack of adequate and proper representation on the true scope, scale and impact of the project on residents, businesses and environment.
There is no doubt: The opposition is unified and presents reasonable, convincing and evidence-based arguments. As this region’s state senator, and as the former Vice-Chair of the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee, I joined with area residents in formally requesting UI’s withdrawal of the current application docket #516 with the Connecticut Siting Council. This project application must be refiled in order to respect consumers’ demand for transparent corporate responsibility. That’s common sense. That is the least that the state and UI must do, and they must listen to the voices of the people.I encourage all impacted and aggrieved residents to send their thoughts and comments regarding Siting Council Docket #516 to: siting.council@ct.gov and copy me at Tony.Hwang@cga.ct.gov “
Click here to watch the United Illuminating Transmission Line Town Hall Meeting video from the FairTVGoverment YouTube channel.
