| OPINION AND COMMENT by Steve Gormezano
There will be an informational rally on October 17th, starting at 7 p.m. at the Arnoldsburg Community Building regarding the high-voltage line that is proposed through the region.
There will be a PowerPoint presentation from people northeast of us, who are already fighting against this proposed 765kv line that would, if built, cross through the heart of Roane, Calhoun
and Gilmer counties and continue across the entire state into Maryland.
There will be local activists speaking and also someone from the Sierra Club who is involved in this battle on legal levels.
Petitions will be handed out for people to take home and gather signatures. These petitions are being circulated everywhere this line is going.
This proposed project, called PATH, would cost over several billion dollars.
It will also cost over $4.3 billion dollars to build just one of the four proposed coal plants to power these massive lines.
These lines are not being built to serve West Virginia consumers. We are being told that they are needed to protect the east coast grid.
But what about our grid? My power goes out a lot, and
doesn't always come back on that quickly, and I know other people on other spurs who have it even worse.
Our West Virginia rural electric lines were installed in
the late 40's and early 1950's. The WV Public Service Commission, (WVPSC), needs to worry about our grid.
We need a replacement program for our deteriorating lines. We need the power company to connect spurs together and install electronic switches so that when power goes out somewhere they can
route power in from the other side, and fix the problem while everyone still has electricity.
We need the WVPSC to mandate that the power companies use
local businesses that hire local people to cut and remove limbs from trees so that the lines are protected, and the trees are respected.
No more spraying, and no need for helicopter cutting.
Put people to work and respect the trees, and do the job right and protect the lines.
People that want new electric lines run to their property shouldn't have to pay such outrageous amounts to run new lines.
West Virginians would be charged for the construction of this proposed 765,000-volt line and these power plants, affecting our electric bills.
I also believe that if we mine coal at an accelerated rate to power this system, coal will get even more expensive, and our electric rates will go up even more.
The WV power plants using coal will create more toxic emission in our air.
There are health issues related to these huge electro-magnetic fields, for people and animals. Some studies have shown dramatic increases in cancer and leukemia rates in children that live under or near these sorts of energy fields.
Property values drop wherever they go, and wherever they can be seen. Land is usually priced at half its normal value, and doesn't usually sell, even at that reduced price.
You can hear these lines humming and buzzing from a mile away.
We need to spend our money to upgrade our grid, connecting spurs, putting in electronic switches, replacing old lines, clearing tree limbs from the lines the right way and employing local people.
If we are going to invest billions in something, it should be in creating power through cleaner, greener sources, and creating hybrid buildings with energy storage capacity, tapping geo-thermal and tidal energies, investing in solar and hydrogen technologies and gearing up for mass production.
Steve Gormezano
3350 Harmony Rd.
Gandeeville, WV 25243
304-577-6785
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