Power Lines’ Removal Sparks A.M. Outage

The removal of 66,000-volt power lines that have long annoyed residents sparked a power outage throughout the city Thursday morning.

But a recently graduated class of 32 senior citizen police volunteers swung into action, directing traffic at the city’s less-crowded intersections where signal lights went dark.

“Our officers were all on the busy intersections and we didn’t have enough people to spare, so they were a great, great help to us,” Seal Beach Police Lt. David Van Holt said. “They are a great group of people. They’re more than eager.”

The hourlong power outage hit about 10:37 a.m., affecting the entire city west of the San Diego Freeway, according to Ed Sanchez, an Edison Co. operations superintendent.

It was caused by a short circuit when part of the huge, 66,000-volt power line being removed at Seal Beach Boulevard near the police station struck an active power line.

Removal of the high-voltage power lines had been urged by hundreds of residents who complained of noise and sparks near their homes.

Part of an emergency backup system used by Rockwell International Corp., the lines run above backyards, near balconies and past an elementary school.

Rockwell and Edison agreed to spend about $400,000 to remove the lines, which includes the cost of modifications to the Rockwell facility.

The power outage did not affect Rockwell, which has an independent link to the nearby Edison generating station, Sanchez said.

City Public Works Director Steve Badum said the only casualty of the power blackout was a bird’s nest that caught fire at the police station where Edison crews were working.