Hearing held on bill to change state wildlands designations
ANNAPOLIS — Distrust and lack of transparency were repeatedly mentioned as one bill after another in the Maryland House Thursday addressed land protections threatened by power companies.
Several hearings were held before the Economic Matters Committee including for HB1270, sponsored by Del. Jim Hinebaugh and cross filed with Sen. Mike McKay's SB0399.
The legislation aims to strip wildlands designation from Big Savage Mountain Wildland, Bear Pen Wildland and Dan's Mountain Wildland for NextEra Energy Transmission MidAtlantic to build new overhead transmission lines.
Hinebaugh said the electrical pylons would carry high-voltage current for roughly 105 miles over land from southwestern Pennsylvania to Virginia.
'More specifically of our interest, it'll run through Garrett and Allegany' counties, he said.
Hinebaugh said farm bureaus in Garrett and Allegany counties as well as the state endorse HB1270, but added he doesn't believe 'anybody wants to have a new power line going through their area.'
Construction of the transmission line is 'a pretty sensitive issue,' Hinebaugh said.
'I knew it was going to be very controversial and stir up a lot of emotions,' he said.
'I tried to look at the big picture and not just look at my district in particular,' Hinebaugh said of regional electrical demands. 'I'm convinced that this is absolutely necessary.'
Friday, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Media Relations Manager Gregg Bortz said the organization hasn't taken a stance on the bill.
'The department is monitoring this legislation and does not have a position at this point,' he said.
'Very gun-shy'Questions from the Economic Matters Committee included whether the proposed project in the wildlands would be illegal and/or jeopardize funding on a federal level.
A policy note on HB1270 from DNR 'advises that state wildlands are partially managed using federal grant monies received under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act.'
According to DNR, 'the bill may jeopardize a portion of the funding it receives annually under the act because it would permit the installation of overhead transmission lines on land that is currently part of existing state wildlands.'
Del. Jesse Pippy said HB1270 has some support as well as opposition whereas 'everybody is unanimously against' plans for the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project that proposes to construct a high-voltage electricity transmission line across roughly 70 miles of land in Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties.
'I'm very gun-shy about supporting any bill related to a transmission line at this point because the last nine months have been nightmarish in Frederick County dealing with this transmission business,' he said. 'But it was interesting to see that you do have support from elected officials ... that is in stark contrast to what we're dealing with.'
Route pushbackT. Lee Beeman, Allegany County's attorney, testified at the hearing on behalf of the county's three-member board of commissioners.
'At this point and time the commissioners aren't supportive of this exact route,' Beeman said. 'But they are supportive of the legislation that's necessary to have this route be considered and to ultimately voice their opinion through the (Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity) process where they believe it would be most appropriate.'
He said the commissioners support the bill because infrastructure to support data centers is necessary.
'It has to go somewhere,' he said.
Discussions with NextEra have included consideration of a new substation in Allegany County, Beeman said.
Violates COMARGarrett County resident and farm owner Steve Storck testified against the legislation.
'I've spent the last 40 years teaching people about stewardship of wild and natural places and providing data products to help inform policy and protect and preserve them,' he said. '(HB1270) is a direct affront to that work.'
Policy notes attached to the draft include 'all the things wrong with this bill,' Storck said, adding that the proposed law violates the resource protection statue in the Code of Maryland Regulations.
'The more I learn about this bill ... it's likely a concession or some other downstate interest,' he said.
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