Oh the noise, noise, noise!
I’m sounding like the Grinch pointing out once again the noise Northern Pass would produce but with good reason.
Given the seriousness of this ambitious project and the intrusion into our New Hampshire lives were it to happen, this proposed massive high voltage transmission line is extremely disconcerting.
I recently heard there’d be staging plots. And there’ll be helicopters (see Department of Energy EIS documents). So I did some research.
It isn’t clear how many staging plots there’d be or where exactly throughout the 192 miles 32 town route but I recently learned that a staging plot could be about 50 acres large.
Plus many access roads will need to be dug.
And a helipad. Only one? And where?
So, besides the noise that I speak of with a big sigh, there would be more environmental destruction than I visual when I hear Northern Pass is adding a new ROW and widening of the existing ROW in some areas, or what I see – i.e., the thin squiggly line – when I look at the proposed route map.
Before I get to the helicopter noise, here’s an example of staging and building a pylon (restoring a pylon) with a crane:
Now for the noise from helicopters to supply concrete foundations, erect pylons, string lines . . .
How long would we have to endure the noise of helicopters? Three years is the estimated time to complete the Northern Pass (last I heard). Helicopters would be traversing the heart of New Hampshire for three (or more?) years.
Then helicopters would monitor the Northern Pass power lines, from Quebec to Deerfield, forever! Again, I’m not sure how often these helicopters would be flying over our homes and peaceful scenic areas and parks. But I want to know.
Here’s an example of helicopters and their noise to erect pylons on other transmission line projects. This one is with 250′ pylons. In Deerfield, for example, common pylon height will be 130′ high:
This one is between New Brunswick, Canada, and Maine:
Helicopters stringing lines over a river:
We all know the noise helicopters make and the disturbance created from rotary wind, but I think we need to hear these sounds to be reminded that
the Northern Pass
will be very disruptive to and a major intrusion into
our peaceful New Hampshire lives,
indeed.
~ * ~
Please send an email to the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee, SEC, and say no northern pass through the heart of New Hampshire:
pamela.monroe@sec.nh.gov
~ * ~
There are inconsistencies in what I read on the Northern Pass website. With regard to pylons, for example, it says here that in Deerfield the “most common” structure will between 105′ to 110′ http://www.northernpass.us/facilities-equipment.htm yet here it says most common proposed structure height in Deerfield is 130′ http://www.northernpass.us/deerfield-nh.htm
Also, the email address for Pamela Monroe, SEC Administrator, on the Northern Pass website under the NH Fund link is incorrect (it omits the “sec” part and I have emailed them about that today). Please use the email address I have provided or go directly to the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee website for information http://www.nhsec.nh.gov/projects/2015-06/2015-06.htm.
Helicopter and pylon photos are culled from google searches.
