Sparta Resident Says PSE&G Jeopardizing Quality of Life

Sparta resident Socrates Platides was back before the Township Council last Tuesday demanding a stronger response by the township to the continuing disruption of his neighborhood caused by PSE&G. 

According to Platides, the disuption is being caused by trucks heading to and from the PSE&G construction site in Hopatcong.

Platides’ neighborhood is a cluster of  substantial homes centered on New Star Ridge Road near the site where the power company is rebuilding a switching station in adjacent  Hopatcong. Supply trucks, construction equipment and workers’ vehicles pass through the neighborhood daily, and residents complained about unsafe conditions.

The Hopatcong project, located near Tomahawk Lake Park, is part of the Susquehanna-Roseland reliability project, $1.2 billion project to built a 146-mile 500-kilovolt power line through Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The power company said the Hopatcong portion of the project should be substantially completed in June.

Platides said that, despite a statement by the power company that they would limited the work to 3 p.m. daily, a new letter says the work will be ramped up to run from sunrise to sunset daily.

“With the seasons changing, sunset could be until 9:30 at night,“ Platides said. “Our quality of life is in jeopardy.”

More people will be walking in the streets, and more children will be playing outside while more trucks rumble through the neighborhood, he said.

Mayor Gilbert Gibbs said that in a letter from PSE&G that was sent to all residents, the company said work would take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., but that workers would be driving off the site after that. He said he would speak again to power company officials about the time issues.

In that letter David K. Richter, assistant regulatory counsel for PSE&G, said the company will, in response to complaints, reschedule deliveries of materials, drive workers to the site in larger numbers and fewer vehicles, rather than allow single vehicles, and placed day and hour limits on the scheduled work.

The company will also restore a former house lot that is being used as a staging site and access area, and will pave curb-to-curb township roads damaged during the construction.  The company also plans to meet with residents whose homes and properties may have been damaged during the construction.

Platides also asked the council if they could check the backgrounds of the PSE&G workers. He said he is concerned about the large number of out-of-state workers at the project.

Gibbs said the  council has no authority  to perform background checks of  employees of a private company.

Another resident of that neighborhood, Ken Laury,  asked if the council might establish a special tax assessment for the neighborhood because of the power line project.

He said that in a letter PSE&G sent to residents, a section  seemed to suggest that the company  might help residents with “tax and mortgage” issues, Laury said.

Gibbs said the township had no plans to do a special assessment, but he would seek clarification on PSE&G’s statement on the issue.