Officials say stringing power lines west of the Salt Lake Valley would help if major catastrophe hit

Miles of transmission lines could slice through the landscape of Tooele County in the next few years to accommodate the increasing demand for electricity because of rapid population growth in Northern Utah, including the Tooele Valley.

The BLM is in the process of compiling an Environmental Impact Statement for Rocky Mountain Power's right-of-way application for the Mona to Oquirrh Transmission Corridor Project, which would establish a double-circuit 500/345 kilovolt transmission line between the Mona Substation in Juab County and the Oquirrh Substation in West Jordan. The new line would also connect with the Terminal Substation near the airport in Salt Lake.

The project also aims to identify future utility corridors for another 500/345 kV line and two substation sites.

"There's only one application right now, but because of anticipated growth, the company [Rocky Mountain Power] is looking at the future," said Dave Murphy, associate field manager for the Salt Lake Field Office of the BLM. "We're [the BLM] looking at it more holistically."

Construction on the project would begin in 2010 and take 18 months to two years to complete.

As part of the Environmental Impact Statement, the BLM will identify possible transmission line corridors and substation sites within the study area, which includes parts of Juab, Salt Lake, Utah and Tooele counties. Some of the items the BLM will examine include technical feasibility, impact on endangered or sensitive species, impact on water resources and socioeconomic impacts.

Depending on the route chosen, there could be 60 to 120 miles of high-voltage transmission lines traversing the landscape. Because of the high voltage, these lines could not be buried.

Margaret Oler, spokeswoman for Rocky Mountain Power, said it is uncertain at this point where the transmission lines and substations will be located.

"The study area does include parts of several counties, so the BLM is taking a look at that entire study area," she said. "No route or substation sites have been defined at this point."

Currently, Murphy said the power company essentially has "all their eggs in one basket." Most of the larger transmission lines go from the Mona Substation north through Utah County and into Salt Lake County. He said it could be beneficial to have a larger transmission line away from the others, perhaps in Tooele County, in the event of a catastrophic event like an earthquake or fire.

The BLM is currently in talks with the cities and counties affected by the project.

As the Tooele Valley continues to grow, possible placement of transmission lines and substations becomes an issue, Murphy said, which is why correspondence with local government officials, as well as public comment, is so important.

Officials with the BLM encourage the public to voice their comments and concerns about the project to guide them in their analysis. For the fullest consideration, public comments need to be received by the BLM as soon as possible. Comments may be submitted by e-mail (UT_M20TL_EIS@blm.gov) or sent to the Salt Lake Field Office, 2370 S. 2300 West, Salt Lake City, UT, 84119. ATTN: Pam Schuller.

The BLM expects to have a draft EIS by spring 2009.

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