A Visit With Hazel King
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On Wednesday 5 November 1997, Robert
Gipe and Roy Silver of Southeast
Community College in Cumberland,
Kentucky were taken on a tour of the upper
Clover Fork of the Cumberland River above
Evarts in Harlan County by Hazel King.
Hazel is an environmental activist who,
among other achievements filed the first
successful citizens' complaint against a
coal company for illegal mining practices.
The U.S. Office of Surface Mining has
recognized her with an award for her efforts
on behalf of the environment.
Our afternoon with Hazel renewed our appreciation for the interconnectedness of each of our lives with the environment. For Hazel, humans and the environment are forever linked. She is truly an inspiration and mentor. In a recent trial in Harlan County Hazel was awarded what many would consider a large sum of money in compensation for coal that was illegally mined on her property. Her response to what many would consider a victory was that she would gladly not accept the money if the land could be returned to its original coondition. During a stop at a country store in her community, Hazel and her neighbors lamented the loss of the pure ground water they had once used. Coal Mining had destroyed their pristine ground water. It was replaced with "city water" that frequently tastes like bleach. Point and click on the images to your left and experience the Upper Clover Fork of the Cumberland River through Hazels eyes. |