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– Contributed photo
MASON COUNTY – ITC will conduct aerial patrols of the high-voltage transmission structures, lines and equipment in Michigan from May 27-June 30, weather permitting.
In Mason County, the inspections are slated for June 12-17.
“The helicopters will be flying lower than usual near the transmission lines during these inspections, which is no cause for concern for area residents,” states a press release from the company.
“The helicopter patrols are conducted to provide an overall status of the overhead transmission system that is operated by ITC’s Michigan operating entities, ITCTransmission and Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC (METC).”
The aerial inspections will cover nearly all of the Lower Peninsula, including all or part of the following counties (date ranges are approximate):
- May 27-30: Jackson, Hillsdale, Calhoun, Livingston, Monroe, Oakland, Lenawee, Washtenaw, Wayne
- June 2-11: Macomb, Oakland, Livingston, Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Tuscola, Huron
- June 12-17: Hillsdale, Branch, St. Joseph, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Barry, Allegan, Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Mason
- June 18-21 Ingham, Eaton, Ionia, Clinton, Shiawassee, Genesee, Saginaw, Gratiot, Montcalm, Isabella, Midland, Bay
- June 24-30: Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Bay, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clare, Crawford, Emmet, Gladwin, Grand Traverse, Iosco, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Wexford
These patrols are a North American Electrical Reliability Corporation (NERC) requirement for ITC’s vegetation management program; support proactive maintenance objectives; and are in line with the company’s model for operational excellence, the press release states.
“Crews check for damaged or worn equipment and vegetation hazards. The inspection flights are often conducted at low altitudes to allow accurate visual inspection of equipment for lightning damage, wear or other potential problems. This is normal procedure, so there is no cause for alarm if a low-flying helicopter is sighted near transmission lines.”
ITC Holdings Corp. based in Novi, Mich., owns and operates two subsidiaries in the state: ITCTransmission and METC (collectively, ITC Michigan). The two systems comprise approximately 9,100 circuit miles of transmission line serving most of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
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