Each year O&R buys about 2,200 wooden utility poles to replace aged or damaged ones in its distribution system.

Replacement poles have usually been pressure-treated with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved chemical preservatives to protect them from fungal decay and a variety of wood-destroying pests, insects and microorganisms. The chemical formulations for wood pole preservation are effective pesticides, just like most people commonly use in their homes, yards and gardens.

Pressure-treating replacement poles with preservatives prolong their life to as much as 20 times longer than untreated wood. This helps keep replacement costs down, while helping to support electric service reliability.

O&R does not sell or distribute retired utility poles to the public, largely because of the poles' preservative treatment. Instead, retired or damaged poles are consolidated in roll-off containers at each of the company's operating centers — separate from other solid wastes. The containers are then transported for disposal by an outside vendor to a landfill specifically designed and certified to handle such waste.