School board members’ opposition to National Grid’s proposed substation was unwavering, despite assurances the new facility would not endanger nearby children.
National Grid representatives presented plans for its Van Dyke Road Substation Project at the Bethlehem Board of Education meeting Wednesday, March 18. The town Zoning Board of Appeals is weighing whether to grant National Grid a use variance and an area variance to build it’s facility on a “Residential A” zoned property. School board members continued their opposition after asking company representatives several questions tied to health and safety concerns.
Around five decades ago, National Grid purchased the property with the intent to construct a substation at the site, according to Andrew Leja, an attorney representing the company. “It was done in anticipation of the situation we are seeing right now in this community,” said Leja.
The surrounding area’s demand for electricity has steadily increased, and requires increased capacity, said Leja. Building the new substation would also relieve stress on two older substations, which would eventually be taken offline and the equipment removed.
Joseph Stadelmeyer, project manager for National Gird, said benefits of the location at 109 Van Dyke Road include its proximity to an existing 115 kV transmission line and requires a minimal tap line. Also, the substation would be centrally located in the area where the company is trying to relieve load issues causing brownouts.
“National Grid has approached this very carefully to try and find the best spot to site” the new substation, said Leja.
However, concerns from district officials and residents are tied to its location, which is in close proximity to Eagle Elementary School and Bethlehem Central High School. At a prior meeting, an Eagle Elementary student submitted a petition to the zoning board containing 105 names of those opposed to building the “power plant” so close to their school.
National Grid looked at about a dozen sites locally to build a new substation.
“The small, remote possibility that something gets sheared off or some [power] lines are down … I don’t want that happening when there is this many kids out and around here,” said Charmaine Wijeyesinghe, vice president of the school board. “I’d rather the company spend more money on a different site.”
National Grid did research two alternatives for the project, but found its proposal as the most efficient solution.
One alternative included constructing a smaller substation at the Van Dyke location, while rebuilding the Delmar station. This plan would not be able to meet regulations and would only be a temporary fix.
The second would see adding another transformer at the newer Krumkill station and upgrading the Delmar station, but this was believed to not meet potential needs of the Vista Technology Campus. More land would also need to be acquired at the Krumkill station, and a new line would need to be installed under the state Thruway; that would extend the project another two years.
Superintendent of Schools Thomas Douglas said the project “comes down to perception, reality and financial planning for National Grid.” Douglas suggested there are other properties, though the company may not own it, where it could be located.
William Bailey, a scientist and consult for National Grid, explained how the substation would not generate harmful electromagnetic fields (EMFs), but some board members were weary of his claims.
Board member Christine Beck questioned Bailey if the research he cited “does not confirm” a health risk, does it “exclude” a health risk. He explained science “can’t prove the absence of something.”
Fellow board member Joanne Cunningham asked if “some level of refined research could be done in the future” connecting EMFs to health risks and issues. Bailey said EMFs have been “vigorously researched” and over the last several decades no health risks have been identified.
Cunningham countered the community has been “justifiably very concerned,” because what future research could yield is unknown.
The World Health Organization has an extensive amount of information on electromagnetic fields on its website, including the handbook “Establishing a Dialogue on Risks from Electromagnetic Fields.” The WHO echoes Bailey’s comments regarding the extensive research of EMF and its general safety.
The WHO states, “Despite the feeling of some people that more research needs to be done, scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals. Based on a recent in-depth review of the scientific literature, the WHO concluded that current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields.”
Melverton Russell, an electrical engineer with National Grid, previously said a smartphone emits about 900 hertz of EMF, while the fence-line of the substation would emit about 60 hertz.
In the WHO handbook, it advises establishing a dialogue with community members “as early as possible” about a project like building a new substation. “When community opposition builds, it is often because the communication process was not started early enough to ensure public trust and understanding,” the handbook said.
Douglas has chided National Grid for not reaching out to the school board and district leaders earlier in the process.
Dom Fuda, operations engineer of National Grid, tried to quell concerns over any potential fire hazards, explaining the facility is constructed to restrict any fire to within its fenced-in area.
The entrance to the substation, at the intersection of Van Dyke Road and Delmar Bypass, would also be just down the road from the district’s bus garage.
Traffic into the facility would only be an issue during construction, but company representatives vowed to talk with district officials to work around times of peak traffic. There also would not be any road closure.
The Bethlehem Board of Education does not have any power to approve or deny the project, with the town Zoning Board of Appeals voting on the variances. School board members in the fall did pass a resolution expressing opposition to the proposal.
“I think our position hasn’t changed,” Board of Education President Matt Downey said, while looking at fellow board members for any objections.
The zoning board has retained an independent consultant to review technical submissions at National Grid’s expense. The subject is expected to be before the board again at a meeting in April.
