Kansas

Meet the Transformers

Westar Energy As seen from the residence of the Evans family, they and the neighbors claim the Westar Energy substation is producing stray voltage and emitting a vibrational hum that can be heard and felt day and night.

In 2008, A family in Emporia, Kansas has filed suit over noise and stray voltage from a next door energy substation. Westar Energy, the company that owns the substation dismissed their complaints and plans to expand the substation.

The Evans family suffers from electric shocks caused by stray voltage escaping from the steel framing, wire and transformers next to their property. The Evans and several neighbors also claim the substation is emitting a hum that can be heard and felt at all hours. When a lobbyist representing Westar Energy came to meet with the Evans, he blamed the buzzing noise on the home's furnace, even though it was turned off at the time.

The Evans family purchased the home in 2004 after the Topeka utility gave a clean bill of health to the substation. The previous resident of the house, an elderly woman, who complained to Westar Energy dismissed her complaints.

Westar Energy engineers and executives say they have yet to substantiate the complaints. Despite protests from affected residents, the Emporia City Commission agreed to let Westar Energy expand the electric substation. The company is building a 300,000-square-foot warehouse on the property.

The attorney representing the Evans family proposed that Westar Energy purchase their home and land. They refused the offer. The Evans family is considering a lawsuit to block the substation expansion.

The Topeka Capital-Journal - Energy plan jolts Emporia families

Meet the Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen City

On October 2009, the City of Emporia filed a Protection Order against the Evans family for videos they posted on YouTube describing the noise and stray voltage problem coming from the Westar Energy substation.

In the court motion, the City claimed that the videos was "an attack on the City of Emporia and various city commissioners and officials who have had contact with the plaintiff's in their quest to deny Westar's application for a conditional use permit." They also claim that the timing of the video was intended to circumvent established rules of procedures, at odds with the notion of "fair play".

In district court, the judge denied the City's request. The conclusions of law were that it would infringe on the First Amendment rights of the Evans family. The written judgment stated that the City's request was "clearly overbroad and unreasonable."

Joanne Evans said, "the City tells us we have 'no rights' and their latest move trying to use the court to punish us for sharing with YouTubers the toxic noise we live with at the hands of our City and Westar Energy is a prime example of 'abuse of power' that my family has become intimately familiar with, compliments of our local government."

YouTube - Exploitation in Kansas Part 1
YouTube - Exploitation in Kansas Part 2