Gilbert,

Gilbert,

Obenshain

vehement

about

power line

proposal

By Kevin Allen

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

Rappahannock citizens opposed to a new power line corridor in the county can count two more allies in their fight against Dominion Virginia Power.

Del. Tbdd Gilbert, R-Woodstock, and Sen. Mark Obenshain, RHarrisonburg, on Monday sent a joint letter to Dominion CEO Thomas Farrell n to express their opposition to the power company’s proposal to build a new 500,000-volt electric transmission corridor adjacent to an existing right of way in the eastern part of Rappahannock.

The letter outlines a number of Gilbert’s and Obenshain’s concerns, including the timing with which Dominion officials unveiled the plan.

“The decision to reroute the project through Rappahannock County was made near the end of the General Assembly’s legislative session without first consulting the legislative stakeholders in the area,” the letter says.

“What galls me the most about the latest Dominion move is the deceit it has practiced and the fraud it has perpetrated on my constituents in Rappahannock County,” Gilbert wrote in a separate statement to announce that he is giving $750 in political contributions from the Dominion and Allegheny electric companies to a legal fund to prevent the utilities from building the new power lines through Culpeper, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock and Warren counties.

“Before the opening of the General Assembly this year, Dominion announced another high-voltage line route through Fauquier County, among others. That decision caused an uprising by the citizens of those counties,” Gilbert wrote. “Bills were introduced in the General Assembly restricting the choice of the route; legislative hearings were held.

“Then, during the very last days of the legislative session when no further legislation could be introduced, no hearings could be held, Dominion dropped the Rappahannock route bomb,” he continued. “Obviously, the

See POWER, Page A3