Bridgeport Joins Fight Against UI Monopole Transmission Line Project

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Bridgeport has joined the fight against United Illuminating's proposed monopole transmission line project, filing an appeal in Superior Court that the Connecticut Siting Council recent decision to approve the project was "clearly erroneous."

Bridgeport joins Fairfield, which filed its own appeal against the Siting Council ruling last month. The proposed monopole project would wind its way through parts of both communities, with tall metal poles carrying high voltage power lines above their respective skylines.

"As Mayor, I directed legal counsel for the City, to file an appeal last week with the Superior Court from the Siting Council granting the United Illuminating Company a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need for the Fairfield to Congress Railroad Transmission Line," Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim wrote in a statement. "The approved plan that the City is appealing would permit the installation of massive utility [mono]poles replacing existing transmission lines within the South End of the city."

Bridgeport city attorneys took this action to preserve and protect the city's residents and property owners from a poorly designed project, Ganim added, echoing sentiments expressed by Fairfield First Selectman Bill Gerber.

"Make no mistake, this project, if allowed to proceed, will be an aesthetic eyesore and an unjust blight on the Park City," Ganim said.

Bridgeport is appealing partly on the grounds of legal prejudice because the Siting Council's decision is "clearly erroneous considering the reliable, prohibitive, and substantial evidence introduced opposing the project, and because there is a lack of sufficient evidence in the administrative hearing record to justify such a decision."

Fairfield residents have come out strongly against the proposal, and grassroots groups in town have also filed an appeal against the Siting Council decision.

Ganim said that he is confident Bridgeport's appeal will be successful, adding that the city's support for any future alternative plan will require UI to bury the transmission lines for every section of the project where it is environmentally feasible to do so. Fairfield residents have also argued in favor of burying the lines.

In past discussions, UI has said that burying the lines would be prohibitively expensive.

UI is proposing the project as a way to harden its system against catastrophic storms, and to meet the increasing power needs of the region.

In a statement to Patch, UI spokesperson Sarah Wall Fliotsos said the utility company is continuing to concentrate on designing the proposed project.

"The basis of the appeal is regarding the [Connecticut Siting Council]'s decision on the Fairfield to Congress project," Fliotsos said. "While the legal process is still unfolding, we remain focused on designing a project that fulfills our commitment to deliver safe and reliable power in the form of replacing aged infrastructure, fortifying the grid for increasing electrification demands and allowing for much-needed upgrades to the CTDOT rail corridor. At each step of the process, we will work to advance the benefits and value to the community while minimizing costs borne by New England ratepayers and mitigating adverse impacts on the community and environment."

Ganim believes that undergrounding UI's infrastructure "will avoid negative impacts on historic and other sensitive abutting properties and will facilitate rather than impede the planned future development" of city's waterfront.

"No revised plan will be deemed acceptable to Bridgeport that does not provide protection to the maximum extent possible from any negative impacts upon our vulnerable population," Ganim said. "Moreover, any future compromise proposed plan will need full public vetting before our impacted Neighborhood Revitalization Zones prior to it receiving City support. My administration will continue its vigilance in holding our local public utilities fully accountable to the population they serve and ensuring that the residents of this City are always treated fairly and equitably."