New high voltage electricity pylons - Manche (50)

[Sybil<DL><DT><PRE><a target=_blank href="http:www.lorkinantiques.com"><FONT face=Arial>www.lorkinantiques.com<FONT><A><PRE><DT><DT><PRE> <PRE><DT><DL>]

Dear All,

Next Public Meeting

October 14th at 8:30pm

Mairie - St Sever (Calvados)

Kind regards

Sybil

[la bezarderie]

Is it true you get nearly 3,000 euros per pylon?  If it is we'd like two and how much do they pay for sub-stations?

[Sybil<DL><DT><PRE><a target=_blank href="http:www.lorkinantiques.com"><FONT face=Arial>www.lorkinantiques.com<FONT><A><PRE><DT><DT><PRE> <PRE><DT><DL>]

Dear all,

I must correct my earlier mistake the Public Meeting on the 14th October is to be held in the Salle des Fetes not at the Mairie. It's near the Gendarmerie, but there is lots of parking outside the Mairie and its a couple of hundred yards away.

I've created an English version of the Respecter le Bocage website for the Association. They hope to combine it with theirs soon but if anyone would like to view it anyway it's online at my domain http://www.anibas.co.uk

Also, if anyone would like English version posters or leaflets or would like to buy car stickers you can now get them at Barbara's bar - The Holly Tree in St Maur des Bois (Near Villedieu Les Poeles, on the road towards Vire) Many thanks to Barbara for doing that for the Assoicaition.

Sybil

 

[Catalpa]

Last week, in the promotional publicité that is delivered by le facteur (all those lovely lurid leaflets detailing those irresistible offers from Michigan and La Foir Fouille etc) we received the fold out document for the Projet de ligne à très haute tension Cotentin – Maine from RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Electricité). Those of you that live in Manche (and maybe Calvados for all I know) dig through your leaflets before you throw them out and see if you’ve got one as this document has the detailed map and other information. The document is available online in the form of a number of .pdf documents:

 

http://www.debatpublic-thtcotentin-maine.org/documents/plaquette-rte.html

 

To order a paper copy  – or for that matter, to express your concern and obtain any other documents – contact

Débat public TGT Cotentin – Main

Commission Particuliere du Debat Public

Lingne THT Cotentin Maine

Autorisation 85050

50011 Saint Lo Cedex

 

requesting the document -

Projet de ligne à très haute tension Cotentin – Maine

Débat Public

octobre 2005 – février 2006

 

If anyone wants just a copy of the map, I’m happy to get some done (published size is A3)and send them out if you will pm / email me your snail-mail address.

 

MEETINGS

Manche – St Lô : 24 Octobre 2005 / 19h at the salle des fêtes

Mayenne – Laval : 2 Novembre 2005 / 19h at the salle polyvalente

Ille-et-Vilaine – Vitré: 8 Novembre 2005 / 19h at the centre culturel Louis Jouvet

 

These are the official dates du débat public; the meeting at St Sever – Calvados (details posted by Sybil above) relate to the local group set up to fight the project. The group is definitely worth your support either in person at the meetings or by joining the group by mail - preferably both . Sybil (pm or email her from her posts above) can provide you with joining forms.

 

One final point:

Originally I’d heard that the new line of pylons might follow the existing line through close to Villedieu. This is not likely to happen. At a St Sever meeting I attended a few weeks ago (and I met Sybil there too) there was a ‘technical consultant’ present who commented that running a new line along an existing line is not usually considered a viable option – if a storm or accident takes out one line of pylons, it will often affect  both.

 

In other words: these new lines will be installed leading to a whole new area being blighted unless RTE can be persuaded by public opinion to run the line underground.

[Jc]

Pylons are beautiful and France has such a wonderful selection-not all the same as they are in the UK. The only downside is the affect they have on LW in the car.

[Dick Smith]

I note with interest that Will the Conk's place is just inside the (presumably) protected regional forest and mine is just outside in C - swizz. What on earth is the Fuseau TGV though?

[la bezarderie]

[quote]Pylons are beautiful and France has such a wonderful selection-not all the same as they are in the UK. The only downside is the affect they have on LW in the car.[/quote]

It may be that health concerns have more validity than the effect on car radios.  Reports of cancer clusters aren't proven but they are not unproven either.

Personally I think that objecting on grounds of spoiling a view won't carry much weight but concerns about health might.

I couldn't live a day of my life without electricity so am trying to avoid a kneejerk response but the installation is going to be very close to us indeed. 

I can't go to St. Lo meeting because will be working in UK but will send my question off in advance.

Would be grateful if someone can update me after as to how well-attended, atmosphere etc.

[Catalpa]

I agree, the health aspects are still hazed in... static ?

If you follow the link below, about half way down the page is a photograph of fluorescent tubes 'planted' in a field near Bath. They're lit and glowing courtesy of the electromagnetic field created by the overhead powerline. While the jury is still (mostly) out on the health implications I find the photograph very sobering.

http://www.outofrange.net/blogarchive/archives/002574.html

And yes, I use electricity but I'd rather see this cable underground than strung across the surface of the land. I assume (and I am sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) a similar display wouldn't be possible with an underground installation as the ground would shield it - and therefore us - from a similar effect

[la bezarderie]

I think but don't really know that it is probably easier to keep a check on the supply if it's overhead, we see the helicopters buzzing about and I thought that was what they were doing.

What I don't understand is, if they are building a new nuclear installation near Cherbourg, why isn't it being built in Spain if that's where the supply will end up? Or have I got it hopelessly wrong?

I did ask my father about this as his company has supplied various complicated bits of engineering to the nuclear industry for years and his reponse was that 400,000 volts is a lot and that health implications are the best area to concentrate on for objections.

That's all I know I'm afraid apart from the fact that one blob of ink on the planners pen and the line could be marching straight across our land.  Will it kill moles, does anyone know?

 

[Sybil<DL><DT><PRE><a target=_blank href="http:www.lorkinantiques.com"><FONT face=Arial>www.lorkinantiques.com<FONT><A><PRE><DT><DT><PRE> <PRE><DT><DL>]

The argument on health grounds being used by the 'Respecter le bocage' Association is based on a recent English study of 30,000 children published in the British Medical Journal (June 2005).

It's results were statistically significant as it concluded that children that reside at the time of their birth (i.e. exposure of the foetus during pregnancy)  within 200 metres of High Voltage Power lines have a 69% higher chance of developing leukemia. For those who live 200-600 from the lines have a 23% increased risk of developing Leukemia.

From these results I feel strongly that the medical arguments have already been proven and this is only the most recent study. You can read more details on the 'Arguments' of the Associations site at www.respecterlebocage.com . If your French isn't good Google's translation of the site is adequate enough.

 

Sybil

p.s. Don't forget if you want to get involved, the meeting's this Friday, Salles des Fetes, St Sever

[Harley]

Having just purchased some land near Percy to build a house we would like to support the anti-pylon cause.  We are unable to make the meeting in St Sever because of a prior engagement that we can't get out of but is there anything that we can sign to show our support?  I will be purchasing stickers for the cars now I know where I can get them.  I will also ask our new Mayor (who we know already) if the commune have signed up to protest.

[Sybil<DL><DT><PRE><a target=_blank href="http:www.lorkinantiques.com"><FONT face=Arial>www.lorkinantiques.com<FONT><A><PRE><DT><DT><PRE> <PRE><DT><DL>]

Dear  Harley,

Yes, it's simple to support the cause. Go to the Mairie in St Sever and ask to join the association. It costs 5 euros per couple or 3 euros per person. Its just a simple A4 form to fill in.

I'll be writing a brief summary of the meeting (as long as my French has been able to cope with the speed of the debate and with several people talking at the same time!) and putting it on the English version of the website as soon as I can.

The English version can still be accessed through my domain at www.anibas.co.uk or now it can be accessed through a link near the bottom of the associations site's homepage at www.respecterlebocage.com

Kind regards

Sybil

[Ciel Bleu]

In the fullness of time we plan to buy a house in the southern Manche area, and to read about the proposed pylons is quite upsetting, not only because of the fact they're not very nice to look at but as everyone is saying because of the health risks.

My OH knows someone who works in the UK for the local electricity board who has heard about the Normandie pylons. He has been told that Spain want nothing at all to do with nuclear power, which would surely explain why the plant at Flamanville will be providing the 400k volts.

I have just found this website which is full of info' about the associated problems caused by EMR (electromagnetic radiation) http://www.leyman.demon.co.uk/06%20Power_Lines.html

It's a veeeery large website, but I have pulled out this small piece. Note that they point out this being a solution ONLY in built-up areas - very worrying!

Another change that could bring benefits is the replacement of pylons by underground lines in built-up areas. While this does not eliminate all hazards, it could reduce levels of exposure by a useful amount. Against this must be set the fact that, since it is generally not obvious where such cables run, they are harder to avoid than pylons — and we do have the evidence of links with mental illness, even from underground cables. There is also the question whether such a move might unintentionally bring about unpredictable clashes or interactions with earth energy fields.

 

 

 

 

[Harley]

Thanks Sybil

[Sybil<DL><DT><PRE><a target=_blank href="http:www.lorkinantiques.com"><FONT face=Arial>www.lorkinantiques.com<FONT><A><PRE><DT><DT><PRE> <PRE><DT><DL>]

Dear all,

to those of you that went to the 'Respecter le bocage' meeting in St Sever on Friday, on behalf of Frederic, the Associations' President...thank you very much for coming. He was very pleased to see a good proportion of English there.

There was at least 200 people there and support is growing not only from the local Maires but also politically. There were left and right wing politicians there adding their support to the campaign.

I've summarised the meeting and uploaded it on to my domain at www.anibas.co.uk. I've forwarded it on to the Association and it should be on their site within a few days.

Sybil

 

[Catalpa]

Time for an update: [:)]

 

This Saturday, 1^st July, the three departments most likely to be affected – Manche, Mayenne and Ille-et-Vilaine – are staging rallies at separate staging points within each department. For southern Manche, it will be at le Teilleul which is on the N176 between Domfront and St Hilaire-du-Harcouet. Details are as follows: 

Saturday 1^st July

Le Teilleul (exact location unknown – watch out for home made signs directing you to the location – likely to say THT NON! with an arrow, or similar)

Starts at 10h00 – 12h30

The plan of action, if I understand correctly, is a march through le Teilleul distributing pamphlets in the town, followed by a picnic...[:D] Take your own refreshments though there'll probably be some sort of barbecue and bar.

The organisers are hoping for a big turnout so if you are free on Saturday morning, please attend. You will be very welcome. 

They’d like as many people as possible to wear white – to denote purity I suppose. But that’s certainly not a requirement. 

 

I went on a march at Villedieu a few months ago. It was well-attended and very good-natured. The Gendarmerie were out in force – to make sure the traffic stopped for the marchers.[:-))] There was a lot of singing, vigorous clapping and waving of banners and it was all very civilised. The purpose is serious and everyone is there to make a point but don’t expect a riot. Plenty of families go – with pushchairs, granny and grandpa, etc.

 

And an update from Respecter-le-Bocage:

This group are spearheading an effort to pick holes in the RTE proposals including RTE’s reasons for not wanting to bury the cable – costs, technical problems etc. This is slow work but going well, I believe. 

Last time I heard, I think about 15 Mairies had pledged to oppose the pylons – this number has now risen to 42. I will try and get a list of the communes that have signed up and post it here so that anyone who wants to go and discuss their commune’s non-participation with their Maire will know to do so.[6] 

 

Finally, some of you may have seen the protest signs that have appeared in fields by roadsides etc. If you have a prime site, are concerned about this issue and would like to display one of these banners, if you email me, I’ll try and put you in touch with one of the organisers. 

See you Saturday. I’ll be the one who looks very unconvincing in white.[:D]

[Coco]

Has anybody heard any more about this recently?  I thought I saw a timetable printed somewhere that said no decision would be made til the end of this year or next year and that construction wouldn't start til 2010. However, rumour, and I believe it is only rumour, is rife around here as to which villages it's going through; with everyone saying they know it's going through someone else's village because their Maire has told them so, neh! [:P]  Does anyone know any FACTS?

[Will]

No, there aren't any facts yet, as far as I have heard. Only that it seems virtually certain that the EPR at Flamanville will go ahead (although it may not  have been announced in so many words, France is committed to building an EPR and Flamanville is the chosen site). So the THT lines will be needed. But nobody has decided where. We all know about French timetables. You are dead right about rumours, there are several maires who want it to go through their communes, not least because the commune, and the maires, will receive incentives. So they are all taking up the project and saying they will get it.

[Coco]

Thanks Will, as I thought.  If the rumours had purely come from Brits I would have ignored them but several have come from Maires or local French businessmen.  Still, they're just as prone to making things up as anyone else I suppose.

So it isn't even definite about Flamanville yet then?  I didn't realise that!

[Will]

Well, France is defeinitely having an EPR and France's EPR is definitely going to be at Flamanville so it's 99.9% certain, particularly as building is supposed to start in 2007. But I doubt if nuclear power station builders are much different from any other builders so timetables are probably rather flexible.

[Peterm]

Certainly the feeling locally is that Flamanville will go ahead. There's an upsurge in building in the area and the word is it's all in connection with the EPR project. I have a gite in Surtainville which was rented (very much out of season!) by a group of engineers working at the reactor - one can only assume, in connection with the EPR. Apparently they're keen to take it again once the main holiday let period is over. Same story round about - lots of people who've started working at Flamanville,  looking for short-term accommodation in the surrounding villages.

 

Peter

 

[SC]

Just for information, the Prime Minister signed the authorisation for construction last Wednesday.

Steve