A few days ago I wrote this post showing downed trees for a power line right-of-way cleared by Massey Energy.
The right-of-way is located on the Clear Fork side of Kayford Mountain. These photos detail more specifically what it is that bothered me about the clear cut.
The power line is laying in this ravine. The only reason all of these trees were cut down and left to rot is to facilitate ease of installation. Once the high power line is in the air - the cut trees no longer serve a purpose.
In these next two photos I am standing on a road with the ravine to my left and the knob to my right. You can barely make out the three power lines coming from the top of the poles in this photo.
Standing on the road half way up the mountain these lines are probably at least a hundred yards over my head. Except for a little natural gravity swag in the lines - they go straight across to the top of the ravine to my left.
This photo is a little blurry - I had to zoom in. But you can plainly see the poles and the line laying down the mountain. The line will be hung in the air and will end up being a couple of hundred yards over this ravine.
You would think if the trees were cut to use as a physical right-of-way that would be somewhat justified although it doesn’t justify leaving them to rot. Seeing as how the trees were cut down just so the job of hanging the line is made easier - I see no justification whatsoever.
Anytime I talk about the coal industry and it’s blatant disregard for anything environmental - this is what I mean. This right-of-way is only a very small piece of the overall destruction caused by the coal industry. It will take years for this hillside to return to anything close to normal all because the coal company wanted and easier day at work.
I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if there was a law in this state that said they had to cut down all of those trees. If that is the case then there should be a law attached to it telling them to clean up their frigging mess. But there again, if it is a law it would be covered by the reclamation laws and those went out the window years ago.
