What I Learned at the "Science Fair"

Toward the end of the four-hour endurance test that was the Valley Link “Science Fair” at the Orange County high school, I finally got in and asked a few questions. Here’s what I learned that somehow still managed to surprise me.

The biggest takeaway came from a very polite gentleman named Luke with the environmental group. I asked the obvious question: since no real surveys happen until the SCC locks in the route, what happens if they discover something they can’t just bulldoze through? His answer was smooth. They’ll do “micro siting.” When pressed on what that actually means, he explained it’s the wiggle room the SCC gives them to simply move the line. How far? As far as they need to, anywhere inside the tax-map parcels the SCC already approved. So yes—if an endangered snail shows up in the corner of your property, they can cheerfully shift the route closer to your house. No problem.

Each of these towers will sit on four cement piers. Five feet across and, on average, forty feet deep. They’ll keep drilling until they hit something solid. They even have a special giant auger built just for this. Now it makes perfect sense why people with wells are less than enthusiastic.

The towers themselves arrive in pieces on trucks, get bolted together on a flatbed, then lifted into place with a very large crane. If the terrain is too rough, they’ll just bring in helicopters. No big deal.

What about construction access roads. Apparently these are fairly substantial roads to handle the heavy equipment pounding your land. All top soil removed (must have a firm base), ditches and possible grading on either side, lots of #3 gravel, and of course very large mounds of topsoil that was removed must be put somewhere else on your property. At the end of this mess, they can either leave it as is, or they will cheerfully take the topsoil and plow it right back over top of the gravel road and ditches. That just doesn't seem right to me.

Visiting the routing team, I asked why they suddenly added yet another route option that runs straight down the middle of our front driveway gate, especially when they already have three other routes across the property. The answer was breezy: just a “simple change,” no particular reason. Sure.

In some areas the FAA will require the towers to wear a bright blinking red beacon 24/7. Powering it is apparently flexible—they can either run another residential line out to it or stick a “small” solar panel next to the tower. How thoughtful.

And don’t worry about the towers looking industrial. They’re going to give them a “brush finish” so they’re not too shiny. Then, over the next hundred years or so, they’ll develop a lovely brown patina as they rust. Charming.

As I was leaving, I spotted my favorite frenemy, Rob Richardson, deep in conversation with a Valley Link employee. I walked up and said, “Rob, I had no idea you’d be here!” He nearly levitated. Purely accidental on my part, of course—just a friendly hello. He’s looking a little tired these days. Dark circles, slightly more stooped. This project really seems to be taking it out of him. He should probably get some rest.

#BlockValleyLink