The relocation of approximately two kilometres of transmission line near Exshaw is on the table to accommodate a $400+million expansion at the nearby cement plant.
Lafarge requested the relocation of a section of the 754L transmission line, which runs north of Lafarge’s operation and west towards Canmore, to allow for the planned expansion of its existing quarry site, which is located on Crown land and is leased from the province.
AltaLink, an energy company that supplies electricity to the majority of Albertans, will carry out the duties, estimated at $2 million, and if approved could start construction next spring.
AltaLink has proposed moving the existing 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission line to a route that runs approximately three kilometres south of Lafarge’s operations or a line that runs within Lafarge leased property. The existing line will be retrieved after the construction is complete, estimated for spring 2016, if the project is approved.
On Thursday (Jan. 22), AltaLink and Lafarge held a public consultation meeting at Exshaw Community Hall to listen to interested ratepayers regarding environmental, safety and visual concerns, among others.
The proposed structures would stand approximately 20 to 30 metres tall, have a width of eight to 12 m and would be wood or fibreglass with the exception of a steel air break structure. The structures would be spaced at approximately 100 to 400 m intervals.
A small section of the proposed line runs just north of the nearby Exshaw Community School.
Peter Brodsky, AltaLink manager, external communications, said the line would be a “relatively low-pitched” EMF (electric and magnetic fields) and “not something that would be of concern to anybody,” even with the nearby school.
“It doesn’t generate much in the way of EMS fields,” Brodsky said. “At 138 kV any sort of EMF created by the lines is insignificant.”
Environmental concerns including wildlife and vegetation, Brodsky said, would see a team of environmental representatives investigating any sort of impacts on any type of wildlife in the area or plants and trees.
“We do a thorough environmental review of all our projects, so for any sort of impacts on species or plants, our teams would be aware of them when they are making their plans,” he said.
The process to design the application for approval is underway and will be sent to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) this spring. AltaLink will continue to pass information along to the community through various phases in the project.
