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Thursday, January 1, 2004
Power line buzz is quieter, but still bothers residents
In October, we first told you about the noisy power lines that left residents from Monroe to Woodinville feeling as if they're living inside an electronic beehive.
The buzzing started after the Bonneville Power Administration doubled the voltage on a 13-mile stretch of transmission line to handle future growth in Seattle and its suburbs.
Last month, BPA workers in dangling handcarts used steel brushes and moss-killing agents to scrub away gunk and debris that had built up on a small test section of line.
Initial readings showed the cleaning dampened the noise by roughly 15 percent.
Cattle rancher Les Gilbert, whose house is about 400 feet from the noisy power line, said he still has to wear earplugs when he's doing chores near the lines.
At times, the humming is still loud enough that backyard barbecues are out of the question, he said.
"It's quieter -- sometimes you almost think you're on a farm again," he said. "But other times you don't even want to be out there."
The BPA will meet with residents again Jan. 27 to discuss results of the cleaning experiment and future steps to quiet the hum.
Residents would like the federal agency that supplies much of the Northwest's power to reduce the voltage or replace the aging wires with quieter technology.
More headlines and info from Monroe, Woodinville.
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