PREFACE
Dr. Barry Scott-Walton, a Resource Analyst in SRI International's Center for Resource and Environmental Systems Studies, was Project Leader of the study. Dr. James R. Young, Senior Research Engineer in SRI International's Engineering Sciences Laboratory, was the author of the noise effects chapter. Dr. David C. Jones, Director of SRI International's Toxicology Department, Dr. John S. Krebs, Senior Biophysicist in the Toxicology Department, and Dr. Peter Polson, Senior Biomedical Engineer in the Toxicology Department, were the authors of the chapter on electromagnetic field effects on biological systems. Dr. Samuel D. Kaplan, Senior Medical Scientist in the Center for Health Studies, and Ms. Kristin Clark, Research Analyst, in the Center for Resource and Environmental Systems Studies, and Dr. Scott-Walton were the authors of the spark and current effects chapter. Mr. Richard A. Shepherd, Senior Research Engineer in the Telecommunications Science Center, and Dr. Kaplan were the authors of the pacemaker chapter. Dr. Buford R. Holt, Senior Ecologist in the Center for Resource and Environmental Systems Studies, and Dr. Scott-Walton were the authors of the ozone chapter.
This report was purposely organized to mirror the question and answer format of the New York State Public Service Commission Common Record Hearings in Cases 26529 and 26559. The quotations from the testimony throughout the report are intended to convey to the reader the flavor of the hearings and to cast light on the discussion in the adjacent text. The quotes represent varying opinions among experts and thus convey the sense of controversy, at the same time indicating to the reader the kinds of questions and answers that comprise the transcript.
The first phase of the hearings (the first five volumes of testimony) brought out the basic operating characteristics of 765-kV transmission lines as they were designed for the New York sites. Witnesses in phase one described the size and configuration of the towers, and lines' electric and magnetic fields, noise characteristics, and ozone production rates. Witnesses in phase two of the hearings (the final 70 volumes) attempted to explore the meaning and implications of the data presented by phase one witnesses.
To orient the reader, each chapter in this report begins with a brief statement of the background of the topic area. Next, the chapter summarizes the key data from phase one of the hearings. Finally, the chapter presents an overview of the experts' views regarding the importance and meaning of the data. SRI International has occasionally added background information that was not presented in the hearings to increase the reader's understanding of the issues that the experts argued about. In particular, the biological effects chapter presents considerable background information. When SRI International project members drew their own conclusions, these instances are indicated. The reader should note that many recent sources of data, particularly current DOE research programs, were not addressed in the hearings. Therefore, those current programs are not described in much detail in this report. The bibliographies at the end of each chapter indicates to the reader much of the relevant literature in each topic area examined during the hearings.
The SRI International project team did not assess or discuss the many exhibits presented by the witnesses, including hundreds of research reports, except for those few exhibits that it was necessary to read to understand expert testimony. For example, when a witness described a picture or drawing, or a number from a table of data, the particular exhibit was obtained from DOE.
SRI International undertook this project before the testimony was complete. The draft final report was completed about I week before the final judgement of the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC). Appendix A briefly describes the history of the hearings, and quotes the final judgement of the PSC.
This report greatly benefited from the many review comments on the draft final report that were submitted. Reviews of the draft final report were solicited from the following individuals:
Dr. John W. Blake, Power Authority of the State of New York
Mr. Douglas W. Boehm, Department of Energy
Mr. Norman Caplan, National Science Foundation
Mr. William Feero, Department of Energy
Mr. Robert Flugum, Department of Energy
Mr. Ralph Gens, Department of Energy-Bonneville Power Administration
Mr. David N. Keast, Bolt, Beranek and Newman
Dr. Russ J. Kevala, The Aerospace Corporation
Dr. Andrew A. Marino, The Veterans Administration
Dr. Martin Minthorn, Department of Energy
Dr. John Molino, National Bureau of Standards
Dr. Elliot Postaw, Department of Defense
Dr. William Wisecup, The Aerospace Corporation
The project team has taken these comments into careful consideration in preparing the final report.
This report was made possible through the efforts of many
SRI International staff members. In particular, thanks are due Lorraine
Straight for preparation of the manuscript, Michael Smith for editing, and
Lung-Hsin Wu for preparation of the art work.
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