Bad news for those hoping to keep the trees along the W&OD
In a decision announced yesterday that will likely dismay residents and users of the W&OD Trail, State Corporation Commission Hearing Examiner Howard P. Anderson reiterated his support of an overhead power line along a 12-mile route known as the Modified D route for Dominion Virginia Power's proposed high-power transmission line between Leesburg and Purcellville.
The Modified D route was created by Anderson after conducting a site visit last year. In this week's recommendation of the Modified D route, Anderson said, with overhead construction would "reasonably" minimize the adverse impacts to the scenic assets, historic districts and environment of the area concerned.
That is not likely to allay the concerns of those using or living along the trail, who note that widespread clearing will have to be undertaken whether the route is on the trail or paralleling it. Anderson ruled that for one year after planting restorative vegetation and trees, Dominion should be required to replace all trees and vegetation that do not survive.
In Anderson's report, he notes that "staff recommends the proposed line be built overhead on the Modified D route, with the additional recommendation that no line structures be placed on the Shenstone lots but instead on the Company's existing right-of-way on the Trail."
And it doesn't appear they'll run it underground as earlier proposed. Or maybe it will
The announcement came as a surprise to Del. Joe T. May (R-33), who has led the fight to keep the line off the trail and put portions of it underground. He plans to meet with the policy-making and engineering groups of the power companies later this week to continue the effort to design guidelines for where lines should be located underground.
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