Jersey Central Power & Light will be maintaining and mitigating tree and vegetation hazards around the power lines and poles, that feed out of the Air Reduction Substation on Mountain Avenue (between Diamond Hill Road and Southgate, in New Providence), to help mitigate power disruptions. JCP&L already worked in town earlier this year on the CSC substation.
For residents who receive a green door hanger from JCP&L: please contact the individual and phone number on that door hanger if you want JCP&L to assess a tree on your property that is interfering with a power line. Please note, the tree must be interfering with a power line to be assessed.
For those residents who did not receive a green door hanger from JCP&L: If you want JCP&L to assess a tree on your property that is interfering with a power line, please contact JCP&L Customer Service at 800-662-3115 directly and give them your address.
Please do not call the Township with your tree request; contact JCP&L directly. We apologize for any confusion previous messaging may have caused.
Residents may see JCP&L tree contractors walking and driving along the electrical lines and noting what trees need to be trimmed on what properties, the presence of any undesirable brush that may pose an issue to electrical equipment, and any trees that may need to be removed. The primary focus for tree work is for vegetation that is within the Right-of-Way Zone, which is about 15-ft in all directions from the primary power line, although it may be necessary at times to trim a branch a bit further away than that to help the tree grow in a healthy and desirable way, away from the lines. Only trees within this Right-of-Way are eligible to be removed by this process, except in cases where a large tree outside of this range poses a clear and imminent threat to the power lines.
Once this information is collected, JCP&L will notify the property owners of any work that is planned for their property, providing our contact information, answering any questions they may have, and allowing them the option to have the work done privately instead. Once a full circuit has been planned, and all property owners have been notified, the planned route is given to Nelson Tree Company, who then decide upon the order in which the tree work will be done. All tree work done in this process is at no expense to property owners. Nelson Tree company has a projected start to work in the area in August. As we get closer to that time, the Township will post an exact date we will be starting maintenance within the substation service area.
All wood debris that is too large to be chipped (more than 14 inches in diameter) will be cut into manageable lengths and left on the property, as well as leaving the stump cut as low to the ground as possible. JCP&L will convey this to all property owners in which it may be an issue, as to allow them to make an informed decision. Herbicide use is limited to a cut and spray application on brush & vines that are on and around electrical equipment. The primary herbicide used is Garlon 4 Ultra (EPA#62719-527); JCP&L says that its use is made clear to property owners before the work is done, to allow them to make an informed decision.