Rotten wood poles lined a narrow stretch of land on the north coast of Washington state. Called Ediz Hook, the land juts out 5 miles into the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Port Angeles, Washington. The archaeologically significant and ecologically sensitive strip is home to a Coast Guard station, tourist attractions and wildlife, and is adjacent to an ancient Indian village and burial ground.

To improve the reliability of the region, while still preserving the history of the Ediz Hook, the City of Port Angeles Public Works and Utilities department is replacing the aging wood poles with new fiberglass poles. The electric utility, which has been in existence since 1893, is working on a five-year city-wide effort to upgrade the transmission and distribution system.

The line crews are currently working on many maintenance projects across the area. Many infrastructure improvement projects were delayed when new construction reached frantic levels. The current slowdown in new construction is providing an opportunity for these projects to be completed before reliability becomes a problem.

So far, the linemen have replaced seven poles on Ediz Hook, and the crew anticipates replacing many more poles in other parts of the city in the near future. The city first began installing fiberglass poles in late 2007, and now has established design standards for the installation of the poles across the area. They have been well received by both the line crews and the public.

While other area utilities are shifting to fiberglass poles on their transmission lines, the City of Port Angeles is one of the first entities in the Northwest to move to this technology for the distribution system.

Fiberglass Technology

The City of Port Angeles considered many types of different power poles to replace the aging wood poles. The department opted for fiberglass technology, because the poles are lightweight, easy to install, safer for utility crews to access and aesthetically pleasing. The fiberglass poles are virtually maintenance-free, because they're resistant to salt-water corrosion, acids, rotting, fire, temperature changes, micro-organisms, insects and birds.

Their long life span in a damp environment played a key role in the city's decision to select fiberglass poles. While wood poles often last anywhere from 25 to 30 years, the fiberglass poles have a life expectancy of 80 to 100 years.

The major downside of fiberglass poles is the cost. On average, the poles cost about one-third more than the wood poles. It is expected that maintenance savings and other benefits will outweigh the additional initial expense.

Preserving History

A key reason for investing in fiberglass poles was the history of the Ediz Hook. Underneath a paved road and miles of shoreline lie ancient Indian artifacts. By installing the fiberglass poles directly adjacent to the existing wood poles, impact to the area was minimized.

The line crews worked alongside the city archaeologist, the Lower Elwha Tribe archaeologist and the tribe cultural monitor. Before the linemen could excavate the area and install any poles, the team sifted through the dirt for artifacts and bones. The crew discovered a lot of fill on top of the natural soil, and so far, there have not been any major discoveries that would stop operations.

The line crew had a representative from the local tribe with them at all times. Overall, the tribe was pleased about the direction the city is going with the fiberglass technology. By replacing the wood poles with more maintenance-free fiberglass poles, the line crews will not need to disturb the ground as frequently.

“The poles not only last longer than the wood poles, but they also minimize the ground-disturbing impact to the culturally sensitive area,” states Port Angeles archaeologist Derek Beery. “This reduction in the frequency of replacement, and thus frequency of ground-disturbing excavations, will yield the greatest reduction in potential impacts to archaeological and culturally sensitive locations on Ediz Hook.”

Ecological Concerns

Ediz Hook has become a major attraction for both tourists and local residents. The 5-mile strip of land features parks and a public boat ramp and is a great place to view wildlife. The fiberglass poles contribute to protecting the area wildlife. The fiberglass crossarms, insulated poles and increased conductor clearances have provided a safer habitat for the bald eagles and other birds that hunt near Ediz Hook.

In addition to bald eagles, sea otters and whales also live near Ediz Hook. When linemen work on the poles in the area, they try to stay near the poles and the paved road and away from the wildlife on the beach. At one time, however, when they were doing some prep work for the job, the linemen observed a gray whale swimming and diving in the ocean.

Washington state has been actively removing treated wood poles from shoreline environments to reduce pollution potential. The fiberglass poles do not have any chemicals; therefore, they have less impact on the environment than wood poles treated with creosote or pentachlorophenol. As a result, the fiberglass poles will not leech hazardous chemicals into the water or soils.

The longer life span of fiberglass poles means an ecologically sensitive area will not need to be disturbed again for pole replacement for several decades.

Safety Concerns

Ediz Hook extends into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which frequently has extreme winds and violent weather as storms get funneled in from the Pacific Ocean. Linemen faced a number of challenges when installing poles on this strip of land.

The power poles are only located about 60 to 80 ft from the ocean, so the linemen constantly battled wet land and high winds. When installing the poles, the linemen had to make sure they were on stable soil so their trucks would not tip over into the water. The line crews also placed plastic covers over the poles to insulate them from the high voltage.

Because Washington is a hot stick state, the linemen used hot sticks out of a bucket truck. The linemen also grounded all of their trucks before beginning their energized line work. They lifted the poles up with a nylon winch cable, and they hooked the system neutral to the lift trucks so everything is at the same potential. That way, if the wire falls off and hits the boom or the truck, it will short out the line and kick the line out. The person on the ground will then be at the same potential and won't face the risk of electrocution.