More from the winged horse

Transmission line sponsor communicates with local resident

By DAVID HULSE

NARROWSBURG, NY — Richard Muddiman is a fellow ready to spend more than $200 million to bury 73 miles of power transmission cable in the Upper Delaware, but collects fax messages for his Pegasus Power System from a neighborhood ice cream store near his summer home.

Muddiman shared this information in an email and telephone exchange with valley resident and former Pike County Dispatch editor Doug Hay last week. He encouraged Hay to share the information from both communications.

Pegasus/Muddiman has proposed a 500 kV transmission line for DC power, which would use the right-of-way of the Norfolk-Southern Railroad to move additional power from Canada and upstate New York into Manhattan.

A railroad spokesman confirms that a N-S affiliate is negotiating leases.

Muddiman has told officials locally that he will bury the line along the protected river valley and reiterated the point in writing to Hay.

“With respect to concerns related to the visibility of the transmission system, we have already assured both the National Park Service and the Upper Delaware Council in writing that our intention is to bury the cable for the 70+ miles running through the designated area. We propose to accomplish this entirely on private land. [Hay notes that Muddiman intimated that additional lease arrangements may be necessary in areas where the rail right-of-way is too narrow for his purposes.]

“We estimate the cost to bury cable is in excess of $200 million. We hope this is an indication of high priority we put on the maintenance of good relations with landowners in the area. It is my understanding our assurances were accepted in good faith. We hope that our project will receive ‘the benefit of the doubt’ and ultimately, approval from the UDC and NPS.”

Muddiman often references the great expense and staff work required for the project. In order to carry out this plan, “Pegasus Power Systems have assembled some of the best and the brightest engineers, lawyers, financial experts and others, pooling their talent and expertise.”

Yet few specifics about the company or the man are available. A two-page “question and answer” sheet Muddiman recently issued to supplement the October 6 press release on the project was similarly vague in describing “Who Is Pegasus Power? We are a collection of high achievers, with core competencies in finance, regulatory affairs, engineering and project management. Together, we orchestrate project development, which begins with strategic planning, ending with electrification of the transmission system.”

Muddiman told The River Reporter that secrecy was part of his corporate planning to avoid industrial spying, but Muddiman tells Hay that he is satisfied to receive fax messages addressed to his company at “at ‘Wick’s Variety,’ which is located adjacent to the ice cream shop in Point Edward,” an ice cream shop of which he adds, “In my opinion, this is the best ice-cream shop in town.”

Another extensive concern discussed with Hay was likely opposition his project would receive from adjacent property owners. “I should explain that I am unhappy with our current positioning. I recognize the interests of landowners are not necessarily served by our project, and from your perspective, the project might potentially damage your interests. I recognize this as a problem.”

Muddiman writes that he is working on mitigation. “…we are searching for some ‘thing’ or ‘service’ or ‘benefit’ that we might be able to offer or provide local communities and/or landowners on a preferential basis,” not a buy-off, he insists, “but rather as an opportunity for local communities to receive preferential benefits. We are in the process of compiling a list of ideas including; (1) re-populating the river corridor with bald eagles; (2) financing a fish hatchery; (3) facilitating cell service; (4) sponsoring jazz and/or hot-air balloon festivals; (5) planting rare and/or endangered plants, flowers and trees; (6) hiring the local workforce (7) providing scholarships to leading universities to gifted local children.”

Muddiman reiterated that these ideas, like his project planning “is currently in the early stages. The engineering, design and environmental studies have yet to be carried out, and the permitting process has not been initiated.”