By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – A public hearing for proposed new rules on tree trimming and power line maintenance was held Wednesday in Jefferson City by the Missouri Public Service Commission.
They would include inspecting power poles over 15 years old at least once every 10 years, and visually inspecting energized conductors every 2 years to determine if any nearby trees or brush need trimming.
Ron Zeller, a corporate Vice President for AmerenUE, testified that the proposed changes would drive up their operating costs:
"As written, the proposed rule are likely to impose hundreds of millions of dollars of costs on ratepayers in Missouri, both initially and on an ongoing basis and are likely to cause a devastating impact on the environment while degrading the quality of the state's urban forests," Zeller said.
Commission Chair Jeff Davis says, though, the proposed rule changes would install uniform standards for managing vegetation and maintaining infrastructure.
The commission hopes to have the new rules in place by next spring.