ROANOKE, Va., June 16, 2015 – Appalachian Power is seeking help in stopping vandals who have damaged the public picnic and recreation area adjacent to its Leesville Dam, part of the company’s Smith Mountain Project hydroelectric generating facility in southwest Virginia. The Leesville Dam is in eastern Pittsylvania County.
Damage discovered recently includes broken picnic tables, a stolen water fountain that was ripped from an exterior wall, and broken plumbing in the restrooms.
The Pittsylvania County Sheriff is investigating and the company is offering a reward for information.
“Appalachian Power provides a number of these facilities around the power project so that visitors who don’t live on these lakes can have free access to outdoor activities,” said Frank Simms, manager of the company’s hydro operations. “It is a pity some persons, for unknown reasons, are compelled to destroy property that provides recreation and family fun for others.”
Simms said that repairs are being made to the location.
Anyone knowing about the vandalism—especially that which occurred the evening of June 3—or saw suspicious persons at the location that day should contact the Pittsylvania County Sheriff by calling CrimeStoppers at (800)791-0044
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Information can also be supplied by calling Appalachian Power’s Security Operations Center at (866)747-5845. Appalachian is offering a cash award for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons responsible for this damage.
Appalachian Power’s Smith Mountain Project is a 636-megawatt pumped storage hydroelectric facility that utilizes an upper reservoir (Smith Mountain Lake) and a lower reservoir (Leesville Lake). Water stored in Smith Mountain Lake first passes through turbine-generators in the powerhouse to produce electricity and is discharged into Leesville Lake. Most of the water is retained in Leesville Lake and pumped back into the Smith Mountain Lake for re-use. A portion of the water goes through the turbine-generators at the Leesville powerhouse to generate additional electricity and to meet the minimum discharge requirements of the project's operating license.
Appalachian Power has 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is a unit of American Electric Power (AEP), one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 32,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a 40,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined.
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John Shepelwich
jeshepelwich@aep.com