ABSTRACT
A public participation program adopted by United Power Association (UPA) as a result of its experiences with the Coal Creek Project is described in detail, particularly as it interacts with the state siting process. The lessons learned from the Coal Creek Project have prompted UPA to make allowances in the planning and siting of transmission facilities for full and complete public and landowner input, at a point in the process where input is meaningful. At the time of the Coal Creek Project, the Environmental Quality Board was implementing the Siting Act via a two-stage procedure, which comprised a corridor selection phase followed by route selection within an approved corridor. Leaders from outside the project area who had been engaged in various protest movements in the 60s were attracted to the controversy, often playing key leadership roles. Booklets containing information about such topics as easement acquisition, payment schedules, and construction practices are distributed to affected landowners.
