1 BEFORE THE OHIO POWER SITING BOARD 2 - - - 3 In the Matter of the : Application of Columbus : 4 Southern Power Company : for a Certificate : 5 of Environmental : Case No. 07-715-EL-BTX Compatibility and Public : 6 Need to Construct the Don : Marquis 138-kilovolt : 7 Transmission Line Project.: 8 - - - 9 PUBLIC HEARING 10 before Ms. Greta See, Hearing Examiner, at the Pike 11 County YMCA, 400 Pride Drive, Waverly, Ohio, called 12 at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8, 2008. 13 - - - 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ARMSTRONG & OKEY, INC. 185 South Fifth Street, Suite 101 22 Columbus, Ohio 43215-5201 (614) 224-9481 - (800) 223-9481 23 Fax - (614) 224-5724 24 - - - 2 1 Tuesday Evening Session, 2 April 8, 2008. 3 - - - 4 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: The Ohio Power Siting 5 Board has assigned for public hearing at this time 6 and place case No. 07-715-EL-BTX being captioned In 7 the Matter of the Application of Columbus Southern 8 Power Company for a Certificate of Environmental 9 Compatibility and Public Need to Construct the Don 10 Marquis 138-kilovolt Transmission Line Project. 11 My name is Greta See. I am an 12 administrative law judge with the Ohio Power Siting 13 Board and I have been assigned to this case, and part 14 of my duty is to conduct this hearing. 15 First I'd like to ask, is there any 16 member of the audience that has some questions about 17 the project that they'd like to direct to American 18 Electric Power personnel, because that is not a part 19 of the process tonight? 20 Would the AEP representatives -- I'm 21 sorry. I will use those interchangeably, AEP and 22 Columbus Southern Power. I don't intend to confuse 23 you. It's just an acronym that I use. I'll try to 24 stick to "Columbus Southern Power." 3 1 Mr. Nourse, is there a representative 2 here that you can get to assist this gentleman? 3 MR. NOURSE: I didn't hear the question. 4 I'm sorry. 5 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: He said he had a 6 question, it is not going to be part of the record, 7 if you want to -- 8 MR. NOURSE: Yeah, we have some folks 9 that will be available after the hearing to discuss 10 things. 11 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Is it something that 12 you need to address before we start the hearing, 13 because we can take a few minutes? 14 FROM THE FLOOR: Well, I just have a 15 question about it looks different on their figure 16 than what it did when they originally talked to us, 17 and if it is different, I don't have near as much of 18 a problem with it. 19 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Let's take a brief 20 recess. Go off the record. 21 (Discussion off the record.) 22 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Let's go back on the 23 record. 24 Sir, did you get a chance to have your 4 1 question responded to? 2 FROM THE FLOOR: Yes. Thank you. 3 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Okay. Let me just 4 give you a brief background, a little bit of 5 information about the application. Columbus Southern 6 Power filed the instant application with the Board on 7 October 10, and as part of that proceeding Columbus 8 Southern Power is proposing to construct a double 9 circuit 138 kV electric line from the company's Don 10 Marquis substation in central Pike County to the 11 Company's Lick-Waverly 138 kV transmission line. 12 The preferred route is about 5.9 miles, 13 and the alternate route is longer at 8.5 miles. Both 14 routes originate just west of the Don Marquis station 15 which is located about 3 miles south of Piketon, 16 Ohio. 17 The Board staff reviewed the application, 18 conducted field visits, and requested additional 19 information and conducted interviews with company 20 personnel and performed various analysis of the data. 21 Staff then filed its Staff Report on March 24th, 22 2008. 23 That is that purple booklet that was 24 sitting on the table just as you came in tonight, it 5 1 looks like that. If you're interested in having a 2 copy, feel free to take one, or you can go onto the 3 Power Siting Board's website and go into the Docket 4 Information System to access a copy of the report. 5 You need to put in the case number, which is 07-715. 6 Finally, when you came in tonight, you 7 were probably met by two individuals, or at least 8 one, from the Board's Power Siting staff, they asked 9 you if you wanted to offer testimony. If you did, 10 you put your name down on a list, and I will be using 11 that as the order of witnesses for tonight. 12 If you change your mind when I call your 13 name, just let me know that you pass. If at the end 14 you change your mind and you want to offer testimony, 15 I will open up the hearing at that point and you may 16 give testimony or additional testimony. 17 When you step forward, I'd ask that you 18 come up here to my right. You can have a seat if 19 you're more comfortable sitting down. I will also 20 ask you to raise your right hand to swear that the 21 information you're about to give is true and based on 22 your knowledge. If you do not want to be sworn in, 23 I'll ask you to affirm, okay? 24 Then I will ask you to state and spell 6 1 your name for the record. Just to make it clear, 2 because we have a court reporter here tonight and 3 she's taking down everything that's said here, it 4 creates a record for the Board to review to get a 5 feel and understand the public's concerns, issues, 6 questions about the project, okay? 7 Are there any questions about the process 8 for the public hearing tonight? 9 Seeing none, I'll also inform you that 10 the evidentiary hearing where there will be evidence 11 admitted into the record and people cross-examined by 12 the Staff is scheduled for next Tuesday at the 13 Board's offices in Columbus, Ohio. 14 We appreciate you coming out tonight and 15 your participation in the process. With that, I'll 16 call the first witness, and that is Randal and Paula 17 Benner. 18 MR. BENNER: We'll pass. 19 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Both pass, okay. 20 Mr. Billy J. Tackett. 21 MR. TACKETT: Pass. 22 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Did I hear 23 Mr. Tackett say he passed? 24 MR. TACKETT: Yes. 7 1 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: I'm not sure I'm 2 going to get this next name correct. Braunhaur? At 3 103 Tipton Lane. 4 MS. BRANHAM: It's Branham. 5 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Brainham? 6 MS. BRANHAM: Branham. 7 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Sorry about that. I 8 butchered your name. Do you want to step forward and 9 give testimony tonight? 10 MS. BRANHAM: No. I'll pass. 11 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: You'll pass, okay. 12 Mr. George Branham. 13 MR. BRANHAM: Pass. 14 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Ronnie Alsip. 15 MR. ALSIP: Pass. 16 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Okay. I have no more 17 witnesses on the list to offer testimony tonight, if 18 any of you wish to reconsider. 19 Okay. Is there anyone in the audience 20 that wishes to offer testimony tonight? 21 Hearing none, I'll take a brief recess to 22 see if anyone else shows up that wishes to have an 23 opportunity to offer testimony. 24 I'm sorry, but before we go off the 8 1 record I want to call to your attention the fact that 2 as part of the Staff Report the Staff is recommending 3 to the Board that the line go along the preferred 4 route; I failed to mention that earlier. 5 With that, we'll take a five-minute 6 recess and go back on the record at 6:20 to see if 7 anyone has come who wishes to offer testimony 8 tonight. Thank you all for coming out. 9 (Recess taken.) 10 ATTORNEY EXAMINER: Let's go back on the 11 record. Now that you've had an opportunity to 12 reconsider and ask additional questions and we've 13 allowed additional time for individuals that may have 14 come to the hearing a little after 6, I'd like to 15 know if there's anyone present that wishes to offer 16 testimony tonight. 17 If there's no one present that wishes to 18 offer testimony, I appreciate you showing up tonight. 19 As I indicated to you, there is an evidentiary 20 hearing that will be held in Columbus a week from 21 today at 10 a.m. at the Ohio Power Siting Board's 22 building which is shared with the Public Utilities 23 Commission at 180 East Broad. 24 With that, the hearing is adjourned, and 9 1 we appreciate you taking time out of your evening to 2 come to the public hearing. Thank you all. 3 I know you were in the midst of getting 4 some of your concerns addressed. Please continue. 5 We have the room reserved, and I want to make sure 6 that your issues are answered. 7 Thank you all again. 8 (The public hearing concluded at 6:32 9 p.m.) 10 - - - 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 10 1 CERTIFICATE 2 I do hereby certify that the foregoing is a 3 true and correct transcript of the proceedings taken 4 by me in this matter on Tuesday, April 8, 2008, and 5 carefully compared with my original stenographic 6 notes. 7 _______________________________ Maria DiPaolo Jones, Registered 8 Diplomate Reporter and CRR and Notary Public in and for the 9 State of Ohio. 10 My commission expires June 19, 2011. 11 (MDJ-3159) 12 - - - 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24