The Tribune

By Annelia Nixon

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

Eleuthera residents urged better tree trimming and cutting by Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) after numerous power lines sparked during bad weather yesterday.

Areas including Current, Hatchet Bay and The Bluff were all impacted by what former local government representative, Aldred Albury, described as tornado activity. Keyshna Kemp, owner of Transformations Fitness Centre and Da Wash House, added that the power lines “look like they were put together with dental floss and toothpicks”, blaming the sparking on lack of tree maintenance.

“The going down part is because they look like they were put together with dental floss and toothpicks. In some areas where there are minimal trees, you still have them pop from time to time. But these are very old power lines. But the sparking is definitely the trees interacting. You can see from the videos that that’s the trees coming in contact,” she said.

“If you saw a video sparking a few weeks ago, that was The Bluff. Maintenance needs to be done. Long story short, they got to come through. I know from the highway leading to Current, they had the tractors and they were able to go and cut down some of the trees. Now, unfortunately, when you get in the community where the homes are closer together, it’s not as easy to get a tractor to run through there.

“You’re going to have to hire people. It’s going to be expensive because it does not make sense if you upgrade the grid and the trees are going to keep on damaging them. They’re going to have to find a way - turn the power off, get the powers that be, literally, on the ground. Cut the branches… but something has to be done.”

Leatendore Percentie, a dentist, suggested that BPL “have smaller sections where they can turn the power on and off, do the necessary trimming. What is interesting is that periodically there are outages because they say that they are trimming the trees and those outages are literally a few hours,” he said.

“And so I think the question is what can be done in terms of making the tree trimmings, etc. more efficient… I mean, who monitors this stuff? I am not sure, but usually it is after the fact when they say, ‘oh, because this tree caused the downfall is where the problem is’. But what I am saying is they really need a much more aggressive programme of monitoring and anticipating where a potential problem will be with these trees.

“Normally, what happens when there’s a situation, the whole area is out. Like right now, basically, North Eleuthera, the primary problem for us might be down at Whale Point as an example. That’s about 10 miles away. Maybe they need to have smaller sections that they can turn the power on and off, do the necessary trimmings. And so when there’s an incident, the whole area doesn’t have to go out.”

Ms Kemp, however, did commend BPL for the trees that were trimmed , suggesting homeowners need to be fined if the utility has to cut down their trees. “They also need to fine homeowners if they have to cut them down,” Ms Kemp said. “We need to be responsible for our yards. Now vacant land or such is a different story. They need to cut the trees from near the lines to avoid this chaos.

“Someone was complaining how BPL cut the trees down in their yard and left it. I had to give all my strength to be quiet because BPL did you a favour. If it’s in your yard, that is your responsibility. I know we blame them for a lot, but you should notice that this is too close to the power line. And as the home owner, that’s your responsibility. 

“I’m from Freeport. Have you met the Port Authority? The Port Authority do not play. If they tell you to remove something and you don’t remove it, they will remove it and then they will give you their price for them having to remove it. Is local government responsible for cutting down trees in people’s yard? I think they might be responsible for towing it away. Either way, it’s my yard. I should be responsible. I know you have some really, really big trees. Okay, I understand that. But then when BPL comes and cut it down, what then?” Ms Kemp added.

“It is saving them problems in the long run. I understand that. I understand them clearing the tree in your yard is saving them problems in the long run. But you’re the home owner and it’s not like we pay already for our yard in front maintenance or garbage [to be] taken away.

“And that’s pine trees. Those are huge. Now at that stage? Even if that’s on my yard, how do I get that down? That’s going to be some serious money. Whereas, if I pay a $20, $30 fee or something each month, that can be covered.”