CUB Looks For Solutions Following “ComEd Massacre”
August 31, 2009 — ComEd made headlines when it blazed a 5.6 mile “path of destruction” through North Shore suburbs Glencoe, Glenview, Northbrook, Northfield, Skokie, and Wilmette.
Community leaders said they weren't notified when ComEd contractors dumped herbicide, called
Garlon 3A, to clear vegetation beneath transmission lines on June 29 and Aug. 12, leaving behind a 130-foot-wide trail of dead brush that area officials have deemed a fire hazard, and the Chicago Tribune dubbed a “ComEd massacre.”
Northfield Village President Fred Gougler informed CUB about the destruction, sparking an investigation by the consumer group.
"At a minimum, it's clear that ComEd's communication with the village was lacking," CUB Executive Director David Kolata told the Chicago Tribune.
If you have before or after pictures of the area mentioned in this article, please send a copy to CUB.
CUB Senior Policy Analyst Bryan McDaniel met with Northfield officials to document the damage and help resolve the situation.
Northfield recommended ComEd do three things:
1. Clean up dead brush and vegetation to eliminate a fire hazard.
2. Work with communities to create a process to ensure better communication going forward.
3. Trim, rather than remove, the trees in the downtown area. Northfield believes trimming the trees would remove any threat to the power lines while preserving the downtown landscaping. Village officials estimate the trees would only have to be trimmed every 5 years or so.
CUB continues to investigate the situation. Please send us any photos you have of the damages. We’ll use them in our investigation and post them on our website.