Rep. Hune offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 269.

            A resolution to ask the International Transmission Company to bury the Genoa-Durant electric transmission line underground in Hartland Township, Livingston County.

            Whereas, The International Transmission Company (ITC) is a federally regulated company that owns and controls the electric transmission network in the lower peninsula of Michigan. Recently, ITC determined the need for an additional transmission line in order to serve southeast Michigan. ITC's proposed 120 kilovolt transmission line will connect the existing Genoa electric substation to the as yet to be constructed Durant substation in Milford. The Genoa-Durant line will run from and through Genoa, Hartland, Oceola, Brighton and Milford townships in Livingston and Oakland counties; and

            Whereas, ITC's proposed plan for the Genoa-Durant line calls for the erection of overhead transmission lines and galvanized steel poles in Hartland Township. Elsewhere, outside Livingston County, their proposed plan calls for the transmission lines to be buried. Apparently, ITC considered the standard of development in Oakland County and decided to bury the lines there; and

            Whereas, The property in Hartland Township where ITC is proposing to erect the gargantuan steel towers includes upscale residential developments and neighborhoods. Property owners in Hartland Township agreed to the costs associated with burying electrical lines when they constructed their homes in order to maintain a certain aesthetic. Hartland Township is a place where people move who want to retain a sense of big spaces. The Township has shown a commitment to green space, large lots, and commercial setbacks; and

            Whereas, The Hartland Township area has seen a reduction in property values due to the current stressed economic times. The owners of the Hartland Township properties have a sizeable investment with their developed property and the current Michigan economy has reduced the value of their homes. The construction of the ITC above ground utility lines will further affect the property value of many Hartland Township homes; and

            Whereas, Some research has found that exposure to extremely low-frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMF) emanating from transmission lines may be implicated in a number of diseases, such as leukemia, breast cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Underground transmission lines eliminate the electric field and reduce the impact of the magnetic field. Burying transmission lines can mitigate the dangers associated with overhead transmission lines and ensure the health and safety of Hartland Township residents; and

            Whereas, The largest part of ITC's transmission network lies in the state of Michigan and ITC's corporate headquarters are located in Novi, Michigan. It is disappointing for many Michigan residents to see a Michigan company make decisions that hurt Michigan families during such difficult times. Construction of miles of 100-foot steel poles down the center of Hartland Township will be devastating, both aesthetically and economically; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we ask the International Transmission Company to bury the Genoa-Durant electric transmission line underground in Hartland Township, Livingston County; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Chairman of the Michigan Public Service Commission, the Hartland Township Board, and the President of the International Transmission Company.