MILLCREEK, Utah — A Millcreek substation once hidden from view can now be seen and heard by residents as Rocky Mountain Power removes trees around the neighborhood electrical facility.
“I know I bought next to a sub plant, but I also bought next to a forest," said resident Sarah Langridge.
A forest used to separate Langridge's home from the substation near 3900 South, now she says she hears a high-pitched buzzing tone all day and night.
“The lot I purchased was surrounded by trees, and it was really idyllic," she said. "I knew that in the winter time when the leaves fell, that there would be a bit of a view of the substation that was next door, but it really wasn't too bad, and in the summer, you wouldn't even know it was there.”
Langridge explained how a few weeks ago. Rocky Mountain Power started chopping down almost all the trees that surrounded the substation.
“The power station decided that after maintaining nothing on the site at all and leaving lumber fallen trees falling down, they decided to clear-cut it, and that gave us a prime view of the substation,” she said.
Comments on social media claim the ongoing wildfires in California might be motivating Rocky Mountain Power to remove the trees. However, the company said there’s a different reason.
“We did have an incident last year, where a person climbed a tree near the fence of a substation, got into the substation, and we certainly don't want that to happen,” explained spokesperson David Eskelsen.
The company shared how it performs year-round management to prevent any interference.
“We understand those concerns, but because the trees are on the substation property, it's our responsibility to take care of the property that we have," Eskelsen added, "and we do tree trimming and removal near our facilities for safety reasons and for reliability reasons.”
But Langridge wishes the company could meet neighbors in the middle to prevent their properties from losing value and their quality of life from declining.
“If they would just think about maintaining what they have, as opposed to clear-cutting," she said. "They say they have arborists on staff. Let's use those talents to make Millcreek a better place.”
