Moon Lake Electric Association was sentenced to three years
probation August 12, 1999 for electrocuting 17 eagles and hawks near
Rangely, Colorado. The utility pleaded guilty to six violations of the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Eagle Protection Act. Under the
settlement Moon Lake agreed to pay a $100000 fine and enter into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US Fish and Wildlife
... [Show full abstract] Service.
The MOU clarified utility obligations to protect birds and required a
plan to prevent future bird deaths. This paper focuses on methods used
to effectively retrofit Moon Lake's system. Over 3000 poles were
inspected for raptor mortality. Prey remains were noted as well as
habitat and prey abundance to determine preferred perches. Utility
configurations associated with mortality were also recorded. These data
were compiled to determine high-risk structures prioritized for
immediate retrofitting. Deadend units and transformer banks were most
problematic. Although many standard RUS-type three-phase tangent
structures (RUS C1 Unit) lacked 60 inches of separation recommended by
“Suggested Practices for Raptor Protection on Powerlines: The
State of the Art in 1996” most were found to be safe. Existing
retrofitting measures were also evaluated. The use of perch guards as a
standard retrofitting measure was greatly reduced after guards
contributed to several electrocutions. The use of bushing covers with
small drain holes also created new electrocution problems with small
birds probing bushing holes for insects. Guying and grounding practices
also contributed to some bird mortality