The meeting was the first step of an Environmental Impact Statement to review the plan to envelope the eastern edge of the park with high voltage lines to service two proposed additional nuclear power reactors on the edge of nearby Biscayne National Park next to two existing units. According to a Park Report,"...wetland-dependent bird species, such as raptors, wading birds, waterfowl and passerines, are likely to be negatively impacted by the proposed power lines.”
The Mayor of Pinecrest Cindy Lerner, whose community is also fighting powerlines, called the Park plan “an aberration” and expressed support for those in the audience. The plan involves swapping the existing utility corridor that the Park has failed to acquire since it expanded 22 years ago. Legislation enabling the Park to pursue the swap that would allow construction of the power lines was placed into the 2009 Omnibus Public Lands bill.
For the a list of documents related to the powerlines, type http://bit.ly/industrialhorizon into your browser and click on the "document list" tab on the left-hand side.
Story by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/blogs/green-south-florida/sfl-meeting-tonight-on-power-lines-proposed-on-edge-of-everglades-national-park-20110622,0,1545393.story
reposted from Sierra Club Florida News
-- Jonathan Ullman, South Florida/Everglades Organizing Representative, Sierra Club