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Chino Hills Residents Fuming Over 200-Foot Electrical Towers

CHINO HILLS (CBS) — Some Chino Hills residents are upset that Southern California Edison is putting 200-foot electrical towers in their neighborhood. Actually, upset is an understatement.

Someone once said fences make good neigbors...but electric towers? Not so much. One says, "It's astounding they could do this. They could put this monster in my backyard."

The towers are within 15 yards of homes. As one resident said to KCAL9's Greg Mills, "If one of those poles falls over, it's taking out my house, my family, my children."

It's part of a 173-mile project Edison is undertaking to bring renewable energy to customers from the Antelope Valley to San Bernardino County.

Mills reports Edison insists they have control of the existing right of way and they repeatedly notified residents of their plans to build and held community forums to get feedback.

Customers admit they understand Edison controls that area.  But, the new poles are twice as high as previous towers and residents feel the obvious eyesores will hurt the re-sale value of their homes. And not only that, many are not thrilled that those towers are carrying 500 kilovolts of power.

Neighbors have spent 4-5 years fighting the project and  Chino Hills Mayor Ed Graham says, "2.4 million" of tax payer money has been spent in the fight. Property values will drop."

SCE had the chance to put the towers through a non-residential area (specifically Chino Hills State Park) but decided on a different route. The California Public Utilities Commission signed off on the location.

The previous power lines were inactive, for decades, but SCE insists residents moving in should have known new or larger towers were possible.

The City of Chino Hills is currently in a lawsuit and appealing the Commission's decision.

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