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Vandals Wreaking Havoc On BPA Electric Transmission Grid | in News Departments > New & Noteworthy | by Renew Grid on Friday 30 July 2010   |
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), the federal transmission-grid operator serving the Pacific Northwest, says vandalism has become a serious problem affecting its system, with a series of incidents causing major damage to grid equipment.
The BPA says vandals have "shot out insulators, damaged access-road gates and locks, and dumped trash on a BPA right-of-way near a small community near Oregon's central coast." Trespassers have also been responsible for lighting campfires along rights-of-way, "which could ignite much larger, dangerous wildfires," and for damaging a BPA fiber-optic line.
"Damage to insulators and fiber-optic lines present serious challenges and potential public safety risks," says Dale Coulombe, BPA district manager in Eugene, Ore. "When insulators are damaged, it creates an extreme and immediate danger. Anyone near the transmission towers is at risk of a strong electric shock, at the very least, and possibly even serious injury or death."
The agency says it is offering rewards for information about these incidents.
SOURCE: BPA | | ******* Don't miss the latest smart grid news -- register to receive Renew Grid's news headlines. |
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