Around 250 people who say they’re at risk from the Fort McMurray West 500-kV Transmission Project have come together with the aim of stopping its eastern route.
Under the banner of East Route Landowner Opposition Group, or ERLOPG, the coalition wants to see a halt to development on the $1.49 billion power line’s planned path though Westlock County.
“We felt initially that there’s strength in numbers and the more members we had would benefit us in our opposition to this line,” said Nelson Jespersen, representative of ERLOPG from the Westlock County area.
“Ultimately our main goal is to see the east route not occur in this area. We’ve had a bit of a victory already. The southern portion of the east route has been rejected already and now it’s just the northern portion.”
Since the power line was announced, potentially affected landowners and residents have voiced concerns about the project, but the creation of ERLOPG marks the first time opponents have united publicly.
Volunteers have been traveling the length of the proposed east route gathering supporters and raising awareness of the issue.
“It’s basically for information sharing,” said Jespersen. “If one land owner experiences one thing we can converse with each other and come up with a common stance on certain issues.”
Concerned landowners have a long list of issues with the project that include the type and footprint of the proposed towers, decreased land values, impact on future development options and visual and environmental harm.
The power line’s route passes though prime agricultural land, including Alberta’s famed black soils and it’s those ramifications that have the potential to do harm to primary producers.
ERLOPG says the project risks introducing foreign weeds and plant diseases during the construction process and will result in the loss of farmland and changes in the way farmers are able to work
“These structures run right through the middle of open areas of land that over the years we have opened up and maintained certain shelter belts,” said Jespersen.
The proposed east route of the line zig-zags across the country, sometimes following quarter lines and sometimes cutting parcels of land in half.
Jespersen and his family are at risk of seeing their property split down the middle, with the planned power line running down a quarter line that currently lies in the centre of his crop field.
Others face the loss of land due to the footprint of the towers that, on average, take up 1,540 square meters.
Jespersen said that he and other landowners would try to work within the system as much they could but that also there was a perception that the process was tilted in the favour of the developer, Alberta PowerLine.
“Under initial glance and studying of the process, yeah, we do feel it’s unfair,” said Jespersen.
“Only based on previous projects such as these and the outcome for other landowners. We haven’t dealt directly with the Surface Rights Board but from what we understand, if it decided to go this way, as landowners we have very little say.”
Alberta PowerLine will be submitting its plans to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) in December which will make the final decision on which route the line will take: the east route or the west route, which runs west of Barrhead.
The province’s Surface Rights Board will hear disputes between the developer and landowners.
Alberta PowerLine is a partnership between ATCO and the American infrastructure development company, Quanta Services.
That partnership won the contract to build the Fort McMurray West 500-kV Transmission Project after a completive tender process.
Earlier this year, representatives of Alberta PowerLine urged impacted landholders to engage with them in the process of planning the line’s route with senior vice-president of the company, Paul Goguen saying, “Ultimately our aim is to be fair and reasonable at all times.”
