By Miriam Raftery
 

November 6, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – On Friday, the County Department of Planning and Land Use announced a new amendment to noise variances granted to SDG&E for Sunrise Powerlink construction.

Due to residents' complaints, the County has banned Sunday flights over  the Carveacre area, according to LeAnn Carmichael at DPLU. The County is also considering requests from other communities seeking broader bans on Sunday flights in the Alpine and Lakeside areas.

Alpine residents lodge new complaints; Lakeside residents plan community meeting Wed. Nov. 2 over noise concerns

By Miriam Raftery

November 1, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Last week, the County revoked a variance granted to SDG&E for helicopter work along Sunrise Powerlink on Sundays in areas where residents had complained. So on Sunday, October 30, residents were looking forward to some much-anticipated peace and quiet –only to find the silence broken once again by the loud roar of helicopters.
 

At least some of the flights appear to be violating the County’s ban on Sunday flights, according to LeAnn Carmichael with the County Department of Planning and Land Use.

Community meetings planned in Boulevard, Lakeside and Alpine

By Miriam Raftery

October 22, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) –After receiving 23 complaints about Sunday helicopter operations on Sunrise Powerlink construction, the County has amended its variance. The original variance allowed work Sundays through November, as well as on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

The amendment covers portions of two areas: Lakeside/El Monte and the Bell Bluff/Japatul area of Alpine.

By Miriam Raftery

October 4, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Arocles Aguilar, Assistant General Counsel at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today sent a letter to Patrick T. Lee, vice president in charge of the Sunrise Powerlink project for SDG&E. The letter authorizes SDG&E to resume helicopter operations on the Powerlink project immediately.

The CPUC found that SDG&E fulfilled requirements for remedial actions including a safety stand down, rigging training, necessity of helicopter operations vs. ground transportation, and incident reporting procedures.

"I have called on the CPUC to hold a public meeting in Alpine to look the community in the eye and prove that lives and property are not at risk."

By Miriam Raftery

September 27, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)—Community leaders and residents in East County praised the California Public Utilities Commission for its decision yesterday to ground all helicopter activity on SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink due to serious safety incidents.