Love your Trees - Bury your Power Lines
11/11/2010
In response to an article in the Dallas News about protests over extreme trim trimming around power lines, Tony Radoszewski (Executive Director of the Plastic Pipe Institute) suggests burying power lines using HDPE.
Dear Editor, Lakewood residents – and at least one from Oak Cliff – took the battle to save their trees from Oncor's pruning crews to the Dallas City Council this
afternoon in hopes that Dallas officials would step in and broker a
compromise between residents and the electric provider.
Perhaps a dozen stood outside City Hall with signs showing a
drastically pruned tree and the words, "No More 10-4."
That's a dig at Oncor's insistence that its crews need to trim
trees at least 10 feet 4 inches from power lines to maintain a
safe distance for utility workers and to prevent tree-caused
power outages. Residents say that distance would be shortened
considerably if Oncor pruned more often. "We have
no problem with Oncor trimming trees," said Fran Charbeneau, a
resident who was scheduled to speak to the City Council. "They just made
a poor and excessive decision in how to trim them."
Oncor was scheduled to resume pruning trees in Lakewood as soon
as today, utility spokeswoman Catherine Cuellar said, but delayed
that until at least Friday. Crews had to
finish putting out door hangers in Lakewood, Cuellar said, so
residents would have a contact number if they had problems or
concerns. "It would probably be Friday at the
earliest [before pruning resumes] depending on the weather and
the winds," she said. The current forecast from the National Weather Service calls for a chance of showers and thunderstorms on Friday, with cooler temperatures.
There
is a proven alternative to the issue of trimming trees to protect power lines as
highlighted in Thursdays article “Residents plead for compromise on trees.”
Communities across the country who not only want to protect essential utility
service but also maintain the beauty of their neighborhoods have resorted to
burying power lines using plastic conduit made from high density polyethylene
(HDPE). Using trenchless installation techniques, streets and yards do not have
to be dug up, the mature trees do not have to be cut in a usually unsightly
manner and the long-term maintenance of the lines, trees and supporting wooden
poles is dramatically reduced. San
Diego, CA initiated such
a program in 1970 and has about 1000 miles to go to fully relocate existing
power lines underground. Power is not disrupted from wind or ice and unintended
costs due to power disruption is eliminated. Centerpoint Energy, (Harris County), reports it trims nearly 700,000
to 1 million trees each year. I’m sure Dallas has a similar statistic and cost savings
can reach the millions of dollars over the years.
It just takes forward
thinking and a commitment from the city to make it happen.
Tony
Radoszewski
Executive Director
Plastics Pipe InstituteDallas City Hall protesters want Oncor to leave limbs longer when pruning trees near power lines
