CONCORD — More than 100 current and former legislators signed a petition urging a state committee to require the entire 192-mile Northern Pass route be buried or vote the project down.
More than 1,000 steel towers rising 90 feet high or higher would be “among the tallest and ugliest man-made structures in New Hampshire,” Rep. Neal Kurk R-Weare, told the Site Evaluation Committee on Thursday.
“At these heights, I believe that Northern Pass would literally disfigure the face of our state and would permanently scar some of our most iconic landscapes, destroying vistas that represent what is most special, most unique about New Hampshire to its residents and visitors alike,” said Kurk, one of the original legislators signing the petition that was submitted Thursday.
Later, Easton resident Melissa Elander said she collected 20,000 petition signatures — “20,000 voices,” she said — from people opposing the project, delivering boxes containing her efforts. She collected 14,000 paper signatures and 6,000 online.
More than 40 people spoke Thursday during a hearing for public comment. All but a handful opposed the project.
The proposed $1.6 billion project needs several state and federal approvals before it can start operating in late 2019 or early 2020. Project officials hope to garner all necessary approvals by the end of this year. The route runs from Pittsburg to Deerfield and includes 60 miles of buried lines.
Click below to read the full story by Michael Cousineau in the Union Leader.