Residents near a Pacific Gas & Electric Co. hub in Mill Valley are sounding off about an emergency repair project at the site.
The project involves the Alto Substation on Roque Moraes Drive near Hauke Park. Since Nov. 15, the utility has been using full-time generators to maintain power to the area, causing noise and air quality problems.
“Everyone’s pretty upset,” said resident Jeralyn Seiling. “I’ve been affected. I’ve got all these air purifiers running right now.”
In October, the utility notified the city that a corroded transmission line at the substation could fail if it is not replaced, a development that also would affect a tower replacement project near San Rafael, according to a message to residents by City Manager Todd Cusimano. The company said the Alto Substation is the only facility with the infrastructure to support the tower project.
In an email sent to residents, the company said residents can expect contractor trucks and equipment in the area, temporary power interruptions as the generators are turned off and on, and “some noise.”
“They didn’t say, oh, this is going to be really loud, prepare for that, or anything about the air quality,” Seiling said. “We had no idea the devastating impact this would have on the neighborhood. No one said a word about this.”
Megan McFarland, a spokesperson for PG&E, the generators were scheduled to be on from Nov. 15 to Nov. 25. The company expects to turn off the generators overnight between Nov. 25 and 26.
McFarland said the utility conducted “extensive outreach” in an effort to reduce the impact on the neighborhood. It also installed sound meters to monitor noise levels before and during generator operations and used sound blankets to help reduce the noise.
“We understand that customers were frustrated by the generator operations and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience,” McFarland said.
McFarland said the utility is evaluating what changes can be made to the system, including increasing power capacity at the substation to prevent the need for backup generators during projects.
Mayor Urban Carmel said the city has received an outpouring of messages from frustrated residents. He said the city does not have jurisdiction over PG&E, and state law exempts the company from local rules like noise ordinances.
Carmel said repairs have been made at the substation before, but this project went on longer than residents expected.
The generators are needed to keep a steady electricity supply while upgrading the transmission lines that power the substation, according to PG&E. The substation provides energy to the city, the Tamalpais Community Services District, Tiburon, Belvedere and Sausalito.
Carmel said the alternative is no power.
“We hate this as much as everyone else does,” Carmel said. “We are all super sympathetic and wish that PG&E would manage that substation better.”
Seiling, who lives on Longfellow Road, said she thinks the generators are simply the cheaper option for the utility. She said the noise has been nonstop, causing sleepless nights, and that the emissions have irritated her throat.
“It’s very hard for me to believe that there’s no option other than taking this substation off the grid and going toward diesel,” Seiling said. “It doesn’t seem credible to me that a company that large and with that many resources has to rely on smelly diesel to keep a city running.”
Seiling said she had an air quality monitor installed in her home. On a normal day, it registers one to two parts per million — a unit of measurement for the concentration of pollutants in the air.
“Even with all the air purifiers running, it’s been registering 80 parts per million,” Seiling said.
