Despite months of arguing, petitioning and fundraising by Kamas residents to stop Rocky Mountain Power from building an above-ground power line along State Roads 32 and 248, construction is set to begin on the last mile of the line in two weeks.
Rocky Mountain Power held an open-house on Tuesday to show residents just how much money it would cost to bury the final section of the transmission line and remind them that if they want the line buried, they must pay for it.
Kamas resident Allison Barr, who has lived in the community for 19 years, said nothing was resolved at Tuesday’s meeting.
“We pretty much have two weeks to raise around $5 million to bury the lines,” Barr said, adding that the government agencies they have worked with have been less than supportive in helping Kamas raise property taxes to accommodate the project. “We have knocked on almost every door in the community and 90 percent of the residents said they didn’t really know about this project and would be supportive of raising taxes to bury the lines, how often does that happen?”
The project has been underway for almost 10 years and is a result of the growing population and residents’ increasing need for electricity, according to Rocky Mountain spokesperson Margaret Oler.
“The new transmission line runs from Oakley to Kamas and is already 80 percent complete,” Oler said. “The portion running through Kamas is our last mile and is necessary to bring reliable power to the residents.”
Some Kamas homeowners became concerned about the project when the route was moved from Main Street to more residential areas. Barr said it will affect her view and she is concerned about the health risks the transmission line may cause. The anticipated cost of the above-ground transmission line is about $1.7 million. To bury the line it would cost around $6.7 million, according to Barr.
“We aren’t going to stop trying to get the word out about the line and what damages it could cause,” Barr said. “It will reduce our property values and when this route was chosen by Rocky Mountain Power, most of these homes were not even here yet.”
Oler said that Rocky Mountain Power has held multiple public meetings over the years to keep residents informed about the new power line, but Barr said many residents are still in the dark about it.
In wake of the power line project, Barr said some Kamas residents have formed the Kamas Valley Alliance, a group whose purpose it is to make sure the community is informed about meetings and projects in Kamas.
“We want Kamas to grow responsibly,” Barr said. “People move here because it is a nice small community and the power line is going to diminish our quality of life.”