During the permitting process and public “open house” events, applicant power companies Dairyland Power and Xcel Energy have only provided bare minimum “cut and paste” explanations to serious and consequential questions. Instead of meaningful answers rooted in science, the power companies have constantly obfuscated issues to try and placate concerned citizens and local governments. We are not fooled. We demand real answers.

Dairyland and Xcel Energy (and their parent planner MISO) must be responsible and provide the burden of proof of safety. Despite untrue claims of safety at open houses, this Is not possible as they have not done the studies. The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.

“According to scientific papers that have been sent to this country, scientists in the Soviet Union several years ago studied 45 persons who had worked in 400,000‐volt and 500,000‐volt switch yards two to five hours a day for several years.

Forty‐one of the 45 showed, immediately after exposure, certain physical symptoms included “instability” of pulse and blood pressure, tremors of arms and legs, and sweating. About 30 per cent of the male subjects reported diminished sexual vigor. Ten or more subjects showed slowed heartbeat, slowed electrical conduction in the heart and anemia.”