S-3862               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6110

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1988 Regular Session

By Senators Lee, Garrett and Talmadge

Prefiled with Secretary of the Senate 1/8/88.  Read first time 1/11/88 and referred to Committee on Energy & Utilities.

AN ACT Relating to underground electrical transmission lines; adding a new section to chapter 35.84 RCW; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that when citizens of an unincorporated area receive utility service from a nearby municipal utility, their ability to deal effectively with that utility and to express their opinions in an atmosphere in which appropriate weight is given to them is limited.  Without representation on the governing board of the municipality which operates the utility, these citizens lack the influence in the voting process which is given to those residing within the city limits of the municipality.  The legislature further finds that the presence of above-ground high voltage transmission lines is one of the issues which creates a multitude of concerns for citizens living in a densely populated area near a municipality which owns and operates an electrical utility. The legislature intends that these concerns, including safety and potential health risks and unsightly poles and lines, be addressed and resolved.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 35.84 RCW to read as follows:

          A city or town operating a municipal utility pursuant to this chapter, whether solely or in participation with any other entity in a joint undertaking, must bury, in accordance with accepted industry standards, those portions of an electrical transmission or distribution line constructed outside the boundaries of the municipality if the line has a capacity of carrying two hundred kilovolts or more and if the line:

          (1) Is constructed in residential areas with a population density of one hundred persons per square mile or greater; and

          (2) Will pass within two thousand feet of any residence.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.