Electric Co-op Today

Copper theft bills are keeping lawmakers busy in at least three states.

Vermont, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are considering tougher copper theft laws. (Photo By: demarco-media)

A bill pending in the Vermont legislature would allow victims of metal theft to include not only the value of the stolen material, but also “the value of any damage caused to other property during the theft” in any action brought.

That is a sore spot for electric co-ops and other utilities, which often suffer thousands of dollars in damage while crooks make off with a few dollars’ worth of copper.

“The dollar value of the copper that has been sold is not particularly high,” said Elizabeth M. Gamache, manager of corporate services at Vermont Electric Cooperative in Johnson. “It’s hard to imagine why thieves would place themselves at such great risk.”

“Within the past year, VEC has experienced several copper theft incidents in substations and construction sites,” Gamache told ECT.coop. “In response to a rash of thefts in 2011, VEC coordinated a joint statewide message with the Vermont State Police, the Vermont Department of Public Service, and other utilities to highlight how dangerous this activity is not just to the perpetrators, but also to utility workers and the general public.”

The Vermont measure would also create a unified form that scrap dealers would have to use to report metal purchases to local law enforcement.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering a bill to create a “grading” system under which copper thieves would be punished based on the value of the metal stolen. Anyone accused of a third or subsequent offense would face felony charges, regardless of the value.

The bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, said his district knows first-hand the impact of copper theft after two suspects broke into a substation.

“The incident caused an explosion that left approximately 3,800 residents in two counties without electricity for several hours and caused $61,000 worth of damage,” Metcalfe said.

West Virginia has at least four metal theft bills pending in the state legislature. One measure would require the state police to create a database of information about people selling metals or precious gems.

Buyers would be required to record the name, address and phone number of a seller, who would have to provide “sufficient proof of lawful ownership or a sworn affidavit of ownership.” Scrap dealers would have to electronically submit the information to the state police by noon the next business day.

Another West Virginia bill would allow police to confiscate metal “if the officer has reasonable belief that said items had been misappropriated, stolen or taken under false pretenses.” And still another bill would outlaw the purchase of burned, stripped or smelted wire.

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Tags: Copper Theft, Crime