Dinwiddie County officials said Oct. 21 they will request a formal review by Dominion Energy — and will copy the State Corporation Commission — after a resident reported multiple electric shocks at the Dinwiddie Sports Complex and a Sept. 4 incident the resident described as a pacemaker/defibrillator event.

Justin Goodman, who identified himself as a soccer coach and resident, told the Board of Supervisors during citizen comment that he and others experienced strong shocks when they entered the park and that a person near the soccer fields had a cardiac event on Sept. 4. "I call fire and EMS. They come. They call Dominion. Dominion comes," Goodman said. He told the board he measured electromagnetic-field levels with an EMF reader and said readings exceeded recommended levels for children; he asked for a full investigation of calls and incidents at the complex.

County Administrator Kevin Massengill said the county takes the concerns seriously and described steps already taken. He said fire and EMS and a Dominion crew had visited the site and did not identify an immediate, obvious hazard during their inspection. "I've contacted today and just wanted to make this announcement. I contacted Dominion Energy, had a specific conversation. That is a 500 kV high power transmission line. It's the largest line that they have," Massengill said. He said Dominion told him the line is operating at 500 kV and cannot be increased, and that large transmission lines traverse other recreational parks without recorded operational problems.

Massengill said he will send a formal letter to Dominion asking for a full evaluation of the transmission span adjacent to the sports complex and will copy the State Corporation Commission and Southside Electric. "When that is complete, it was indicated to me that Dominion would come before this board and give any type of report," he said.

Massengill also stated the county’s decision during initial planning was to avoid placing permanent structures directly under the high-voltage lines and to arrange recreational assets to the sides of those spans. He asked Dominion and Southside Electric to evaluate their respective lines and provide professional findings to the board.

Why it matters: Citizens reported health and safety concerns tied to electromagnetic effects at a heavily used county recreational complex. The county has committed to a formal review by utilities and the state regulator and will review call logs and prior site assessments.

What’s next: Massengill said Dominion will evaluate the span at Dominion’s expense, copy the State Corporation Commission and report to the board; the county will also request review by Southside Electric and collect relevant incident/call logs for review.