StopPATH WV

Five members of StopPATH WV, Inc. traveled to Charleston this week to participate in the West Virginia Environmental Council's "E-Day" grassroots lobbying events and annual benefit dinner.  Steve, Debbie, Robin, Patience and Keryn were met in Charleston by Bill Howley (The Power Line) of Calhoun County. 

In between meetings with our Jefferson County delegates and senator, we staffed a table at the E-Day exhibits area in the rotunda.  The folks who stopped by our table were astonished to hear that a viable alternative to PATH has been proposed by Dominion Virginia Power that costs 1/3 the price of PATH, needs no additional rights-of-way, and can be completed faster than PATH.  This alternative is Dominion's Alternative One.  Everyone was overwhelmingly in favor of this sensible, economic alternative that will provide West Virginia with a secure, updated electrical transmission system by simply rebuilding aged, existing transmission lines with the latest technology.

Our legislators were also impressed with this concept, and House Concurrent Resolution 58 was introduced.  Briefly, the Resolution, ""...urge[s] the West Virginia Public Service Commission to halt all consideration of the PATH application currently before it, and move rapidly to approve the reconstruction/rebuilding of Monongahela Power's Pruntytown to Mt. Storm 500kV transmission line, completing the majority of the Dominion alternative to PATH which is in the best interests of West Virginia electrical customers and citizens."

Governor Tomblin was also surprised to hear all about Alternative One when we met with him.

Now is the time to contact your representatives to ask for their support for this Resolution!  If you need direction in this area, please contact us!

Allegheny's paid lobbyists are telling legislators that Resolution 58 is "misleading the public."  Funny, coming from someone who is paid to mislead the public, but if that's what you've heard, please see this article which backs up the facts in Res. 58.

In the evening, we attended WVEC's E-Day Benefit and Award Dinner.  I was honored to receive the Laura Foreman Grassroots Activism Award, presented to me by Patience Wait, as a board member of WVEC.  Patience gave a great intro. that more closely resembled a roast where she brought up some of the more entertaining moments we've had in this fight.  While I am honored to receive this award, it is most properly shared with ALL the PATH opponents in three states who have stood up to two huge corporations and government on all levels and done their best to fight for what is right.  No matter what crazy idea I think up, there's always one or more of you who jump right in with encouragement and full participation so this award rightfully belongs to all of us.  Ali Haverty was individually recognized for all her hard work on the FERC challenge -- no small feat!  I have met and befriended so many wonderful people in the nearly three years I've been involved in this fight and no matter what we face together, we rise to the occasion and persevere until we are victorious!

And now Dominion's Alternative One has been handed to us for use as the silver bullet.  Lock and load, folks!