Alberton resident has his say about pylons
I am opposed to the power lines running through the CBD, especially as there are much less disfiguring and disruptive routes available.
In 2014, I attended meetings on this very topic- the pylons they’re planning to build through Alberton.
As far as I remember, Eskom had not completed all the necessary studies, etc., for approval of the project and they had a “perceived unsound” environmental impact study.
Also, several routes, not involving Alberton, were available but for some reason Eskom was insisting the power lines go through Alberton CBD and not via the N3.
The article in the RECORD recently seemed to hint that Eskom was still short of some studies,etc., and that one of them was approval from Alberton’s planning department.
Then the letters from concerned residents echoed the important and major concerns raised in 2014. It seems no progress has been made in the intervening years and that approaches to the council might have been a waste of time.
I think the following should be done and the questions asked as Eskom’s process proceeds:
1. Eskom should be requested to produce copies of all their supporting documents and the signatures on them should be noted and checked. If any documents are not forthcoming for whatever reason then it should be assumed that the documents do not exist.
2. Do Alberton residents want the power lines running through their CBD?
3. Bearing in mind that the council and councillors are the “servants” of the residents of Alberton and not their “masters”, are the councillors supporting the residents?
4. If not, who is pushing for the power lines?
5. Has planning permission for the lines been obtained from the Alberton planning department?
6. If it has, who supported it? If not, how likely is it to be refused?
(The following is important and highly controversial but should not be ignored.)
7. Who on the council stands to gain, directly (financially) or indirectly (gifts or via family etc.) from the lines passing through the CBD?
8. Whose companies will benefit from the contracts for any construction work, etc.?
9. A close watch should be kept on the financial arrangements of all interested parties.
10. If necessary, a community beneficial use should be found for the servitude and quickly implemented.
One final point for the council and planning department to consider is the perceived relationship between electromagnetic radiation (generated by high voltage power lines) and health problems (particularly unborn children). Council and planning offices will be close to the lines (unless there are plans to move the offices) and the occupants will be constantly within the fields. The arbitrary 100m exclusion zone applies from the base of the pylons where the actual distance from the wires is longer (use Pythagoras!). It is this longer distance which must be used when assessing the effects of the radiation on the office workers as they will be at the same level as the wires and not at ground level.
By the way, I am opposed to the power lines running through the CBD, especially as there are much less disfiguring and disruptive routes available.
Gareth Tucker
The RECORD contacted the EMM and Eskom, but they failed to respond to our requests for comment.
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Residents have their say about planned pylons
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