Irate in Eureka

Why, you couldn't have wedged another soul into the meeting room at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs the other day.

Many had come, some clad in bright orange protest T-shirts, to hear two state lawmakers explain their mutual approach to help property owners and citizens opposed to the 50-mile-long high-voltage power line SWEPCO wants to carve through the forests between Centerton in Benton County and Berryville in adjacent Carroll County.

And did I find the energy flowing at this gathering, moderated by Doug Stowe with Pat Costner of Save the Ozarks, downright electrifying (sorry, couldn't resist).

State Sen. Bryan King of Green Forest and Rep. Bob Ballinger of Hindsville, both Republicans, clearly were sympathetic to the growing public resistance toward approving the 345-kilovolt line, the initial approval of which our state's Public Service Commission wisely has decided to revisit in coming weeks.

Carving a 150-foot-wide swath through the magnificent Ozarks and keeping that highway cleared with herbicides is most assuredly a big deal to many Arkansans. I agree the need must be conclusively proven before SWEPCO is allowed to do this.

During the emotional public discussion segment, one lady held up a photo of her beloved 2-year-old granddaughter and told the legislators she would attach the child to the first tree SWEPCO tries to clear away. That's just how irate and devoted a growing number of Arkansas folks have become to the cause.

King and Ballinger said the controversy prompted them to introduce at least two bills, one of which would ensure the government provides equitable compensation when an owner's land is taken by eminent domain. Landowners now often wind up being shortchanged when their land is acquired, King said. The second bill would provide citizens with a legal advocate under a new Office of Public Counsel whenever the public must oppose the desires of utility companies.

Both are solid ideas, especially considering citizens and activist groups like Save the Ozarks already have collected $150,000 in this fight and may have to somehow raise at least that much more should legal appeals become necessary. These folks clearly are determined.

While both legislators who admirably arranged the gathering to explain their feelings have embraced the cause of many people, their draft bills don't do anything to stop the transmission line under consideration. And the nearly 200 people present on this night repeatedly made that evident, at one point chanting in unison: "Just say no! Just say no!" There was palpable concern in the room that neither the utility nor its parent company AEP had come close to proving the need for the massive transmission line. Many are convinced it's actually intended as one segment of a larger interstate plan stretching beyond Arkansas.

SWEPCO continues to insist the proposed line is necessary, as ordered by Southwest Power Pool. Now they will have an opportunity (yet again) to argue their position before the commission.

Stowe told me he hopes King's and Ballinger's bills will "convey to SWEPCO the futility of their position. They could pull the plug on the project and stop the damage they are doing to themselves and to our small communities that they have shown such a lack of concern for. At this point we know what happens with legislators' bills. There are mountains of them that have come to nothing more than confetti."

Stowe said the most significant aspect of the evening was seeing so many people showing up. "That in itself indicates this issue is not something that will get better for SWEPCO and the Southwest Power Pool. There is very strong opposition to this project and if SWEPCO thinks they can put in this power line without facing the situation of grandmothers and granddaughters chained to trees, they are mistaken."

He said opposition clearly continues to grow, especially into Bentonville, Rogers and across Benton County as citizens became aware of this plan, he said, adding there also are "mounting frustrations that the Legislature and governor have not expressed opposition or spoken on behalf of the people."

"It will be national news [if the line goes through]," Stowe continued, "and all the malfeasance leading to that point by our Public Service Commission and SWEPCO will be at a tremendous cost for them. They should be informed that they face a dedicated bunch of folks who will make certain they pay dearly for any damage they do to our environment and economy."

Internationally acclaimed artist Susan Morrison of Beaver also expressed the prevalent feeling in the room that the Legislature badly needs to be given better control over actions by the Public Service Commission, which approves these kinds of utility projects.

"We need courage from you [legislators], and you're not doing that," she told King and Ballinger.

Yet I have to give these two lawmakers credit for calling the meeting to allow so many to vent, even when it sometimes became personally painful for them to face. I don't see any other legislators following their admirable attempts, do you?

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Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at [email protected]. Read his blog at mikemastersonsmessenger.com.

Editorial on 07/01/2014

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