The SOUL of Wisconsin
By Rob Zaleski -The Capitol Times, Editorial
December 27, 1999
Imagine a hot, humid summer day up north. But instead of being lulled by forest breezes, it's "like being
in the dentist's chair -- in the days of the old drills.'' That's what Madison attorney Ed Garvey says it
will be like if a planned 345-kilovolt, 250-mile high-voltage transmission line is built between Duluth and
Wausau.
Garvey is representing a grass-roots organization of farmers, land and home
owners called Save Our Unique Lands (SOUL), which is questioning the
project -- including a loop to the Rhinelander area, just 30 miles northwest of
the Crandon mine site.
The line is a joint venture between Wisconsin Public Service Corp. of Green
Bay and another utility, Minnesota Power Co. of Duluth, Minn. Known as
``Power Up Wisconsin,'' the project would provide needed backup power to
the state's citizens and businesses, the utilities say. In fact, the power
generated by the line up north would mainly go to the southeastern corner of
the state and even to Chicago.
The 2,000 active members of SOUL are looking at a bigger picture and their
concerns go deeper than who will get the power generated in their neck of
the woods. Their questions are legitimate and should be of concern to all, no
matter where they live in the state.
** Is the line necessary? SOUL says maybe not, given there are four power plants and several smaller
peaking plants expected to be built in the state within the next five years. And they point out new
technology may make the massive line ``a dinosaur'' a few years after it's finished.
Steve Hiniker, executive director of the Madison-based Citizens' Utility Board, agrees. ``Given the
amount of time it will take to construct a line like this,'' he says, ``we ought to be looking very, very
seriously at alternatives that could meet our needs a lot sooner.''
** Opposition to the line is growing and includes such stalwart institutions as the Chippewa Valley
Bank, which has donated $2,500 to SOUL. Displaying incredible arrogance, an official at the Wisconsin
Public Service Corp. told an overflow crowd at a public meeting in Marathon County that it didn't
matter how widespread the opposition was, the utilities would press ahead anyway. Even worse, if the
PSC decides the line is needed, it has the power of eminent domain and can take the land it needs as
long as owners are compensated -- which has led Rep. Marty Reynolds, D-Ladysmith, to draft a bill
that would bar for-profit businesses from having such authority.
** Officials from the Wisconsin Public Service Corp. have contributed to Gov. Tommy Thompson's
campaign fund over the last six years. Thompson also appointed all three PSC members. That's why
Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, and other legislators have filed to become formal parties in the
proceedings and help monitor the commission's activities to be sure the evaluation of the line is
complete and unbiased.
** The members of SOUL are not fanatics but Wisconsin citizens whose lives, health and livelihoods
will be irrevocably affected if the line is approved. They've asked the PSC for money to hire an
intervenor, for public hearings in every county that's affected by the line, and for assurances that there
will be no closed door meetings between the utilities and the PSC members on issues related to the line.
And the group wants the PSC to look at alternatives to this massive line.
Their demands are reasonable and deserve a hearing.
Once citizens meekly accepted whatever the government said. If it was labeled ``progress,'' then it was
automatically good. But now groups like SOUL are beginning to question what constitutes progress.
Are projects that negatively affect the environment, bring potential health risks and increase sprawl
good for Wisconsin?
SOUL is asking hard -- but necessary -- questions. When eight of the 11 counties affected pass
resolutions opposing the power line, it's obvious their questions have not been adequately answered.
Through its grass-roots activism, SOUL has brought this issue -- as critical in its way as the Crandon
mine -- to the attention of the whole state. Now all of Wisconsin demands answers to these questions.
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