On October 22, 2015, “the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved PECO’s System 2020 plan to invest an additional $274 million, during the next five years, to install advanced equipment, explore state-of-the-art microgrid technology and reinforce the future electric system, making it more weather resistant and less vulnerable to storm damage”. The quoted text can be found at PECO.com. No one could ever imagine the plan included cutting down thousands of trees in Delaware and Chester Counties. And then it happened. In October 2018, a significant number of trees got an odd yellow dot on them; the Easttown Township was contacted, and the “dots connected”. Those were the trees identified to be removed by PECO, so the plan could move forward.
The Community reacted and discussed the issue. It became evident there was no clear criteria to identify the trees to be removed. The impression was confirmed when the Community met with PECO representatives during a Town Hall on October 25 at the Easttown Library. Interestingly, the information provided during the meeting was the trees with yellow dots were identified by the company contracted by PECO to remove trees! The Delaware and Chester Counties Communities considered that approach not acceptable. The Community main requests included clear criteria to identify trees to be removed, the total number of trees impacted, and an environmental plan. PECO acknowledged the issue, and decided to halt the plan implementation, with a commitment to get back to the Community. At least one Easttown Township Board of Supervisor was at the meeting and did not support the Community, being mostly silent during the meeting. Representative Duane Milne was there as well. He mentioned PECO “was a reliable Company” and vanished. Finally, candidate Kristine Howard was contacted by email, but did not respond back to us.
On December 6th, at Beaumont Elementary School, PECO set several stands and had employees available to discuss individually with neighbors who attended the event. The event was not designed as a Town Hall. The number of trees to be removed in the Delaware and Chester Counties was still not informed (PECO confessed it is unknown). An area for “potential redesign” was presented. The area is very small; it is comprised of segments of Beaumont Rd, Newtown Rd and S Leopard Rd (a very small fraction of the Delaware and Chester Counties). Yet PECO does not know the number of trees with yellow dots in those roads (we know it: 502 trees), the information provided was that 30-50% of them would not be removed based on a preliminary assessment done by PECO. PECO also committed to offer the option to re-plant trees. And that was all.
In summary, it is likely that, taking into consideration the information obtained from PECO, an extraordinary number of trees may be removed from the entire Delaware and Chester Counties as part of the implementation of the PECO’s System 2020 plan. The environmental impact of that was not evaluated, and it is unknown at this point. It would be interesting to verify if the plan being implemented by PECO is consistent with the plan presented by the Company to Judge F. Joseph Brady, on March 29, 2018, prior to PUC approval. The Intelligencer (August 29, 2018, by Chris Ullery) informed there will be an increase in residential electric customers monthly bills!
The trees are a gift to us from Nature. Many of them are hundreds of years old. They add value to our neighborhoods. The criteria to identify trees to be removed is still not clear: data from the “redesigned area” suggest the degree of inaccuracy for identifying the right trees to be removed is as high as 50% (or at least 1 tree in 3!). The environmental impact is unknown, and PECO does not plan to have one. The impact to the neighborhoods was not considered or assessed.
The fact is the “redesigned area” indicated by PECO is like a drop in the ocean. PECO informed more adjustments may be done in other areas “if the Community and individuals complain” (sic). It is easy to spot “PECO cannot remove our trees” and #noyellowdots yard signs in the area. Still a clear and vivid message to PECO with regards from the Delaware and Chester Counties communities. An expression of our deep concerns about the impact of trees removal in the area.