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[at-l] Re: Power line in Roanoke area (LONG)
On Mon, 6 Oct 1997 ChsyHkr@aol.com wrote:
> Rumor has it that the real use is to carry cheap Smith Mt. Lake hydro
> power out of the area.
Similar thing happened up here in NY a few years ago. HydroQuebec, the
essentially government-run provider (TVA?) to Montreal and the whole
province of Quebec, was forcing a hydroplant into a river valley still
fully inhabited by Native Americans who lived the traditional way --
canoes, teepees, etal.
Turned out they were selling the power across to NY state.
Apparently, Hydro Quebec had bought off /another/ tribe in a neighboring
rive valley in the mid-70s. They paid the tribe and flooded the valley.
15 years later the Indians (maybe Cree?) knew fully well theyd gotten the
shaft. They werent taking it this time. Whatd they do?
They got a Kennedy and they built a canoe. And a big-ass canoe at
that -- a special canoe, oversized, symbolically I guess for long
journeys or even battle.
Since NY was the real culprit they came hundreds of miles down the Hudson
River from Sacandega Lake, in the Adirondacks. First they stopped in to
Albany and lobbied and lobbied the state legislature, with dances and
extended drum sessions ...
Then they came all the way down to New York City and held a celebration
when the Legislature voted to kill the HydroQuebec power deal.
HydroQuebec no longer had justification to build that plant nor flood that
valley.
In my mind I see no sense in plowing over across mountain and valley every
nook and cranny of the United States just ro run a power line through. I
still question the risk of nuclear power when it seems like there is SO
MUCH untapped solar.
But since this world was built, continues to run, and continues to stifle
the planet with fossil fuels and other murky brown stuff I guess it DOES
just about take an act of the legislature to stop a rolling stone like
a POWER company.
So I guess thats my advice, find a smart, patriotic state legislator that
will say NOT THROUGH MY DISTRICT YOURE NOT! And then find two more.
While these arent battles easily won, everybody knows that they should be
won. Its just finding the right person to stop it.
good luck! and I'm happy to write a letter using my brothers VA or NC
addresses.
#cc
--
Carter Craft
craft@panix.com
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