Ameren Answers Anger Over Clearing Creek Banks of Plants
Utility company says it's required to maintain area around power towers.
After someone posted protest signs on Schoettler Road over the removal of vegetation from the banks of Creve Coeur Creek in Chesterfield near electric power towers, Ameren Missouri indicated Tuesday that the clearing was a proactive measure.
Ameren Missouri spokesman Kent Martin told Chesterfield Patch that Ameren would replant the creek banks with grass, which was more in keeping with the surrounding common ground of Greenleaf Estates subdivision—where the power towers stand by the creek.
"We discussed the need for this work with local municipalities and a subdivision trustee in advance," Martin said in a timely email response to a Chesterfield Patch inquiry, Tuesday.
A number of protest signs blaming Ameren for the destruction of animal habitats by removing the creek banks' foliage appeared along Schoettler Road over the past weekend. The signs were not attributed to any group or anyone.
Martin explained the utility company's reasoning Tuesday.
"The vegetation removed along our right-of-way in the subdivision common ground had several species of vegetation, including bamboo which grows very tall and at a rapid rate," Martin said.
"The vegetation could potentially interfere with power lines during extreme weather, such as winter storms when lines can sag under the accumulation of ice," Martin said.
Ameren took a public relations beating during 2007 ice storms when thousands of customers in the St. Louis area were without electricity for nearly a week after overhanging icey tree limbs took down multiple power lines.
Since that time, Ameren has said it stepped up trimming trees and looking at other potentially problematic scenarios that would knock out power.
"Ameren Missouri must maintain land near our power lines, which is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in order to provide our customers with safe and reliable energy," Martin said.
m hahn
7:53 am on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN MAJOR ICE STORMS IN MAY,JUNE,JULY,AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER? THIS FOILAGE DROPS SIDEWAYS TO THE GROUND IN THE FALL AND IS NO WAY CLOSE TO SO- CALLED SAGGING ICED POWER LINES. I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS WITH MY EYES,HAVE YOU KENT? NO!
Tom Maher
8:12 am on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
How tall are the towers? Does bamboo (or other of the flora) grow to that height? How low do the power lines droop - dozens of feet? Sure...
Will Ameren cut the grass? I'm not being sarcastic on the preceding sentence; I don't know.
Jean Whitney
8:35 am on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
The angry sign-maker wrote the towers were 30 feet tall. They look at least that tall. Re grass: I assumed it would be cut along with the rest of the subdivision's common ground area.
Mike Molick
8:39 am on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Jean - your second picture in the article showing "what the creek and bank used to look like" sure looks like something more than just 3 foot bamboo. Appears to me that there were some trees or very high bushes growing in this area very close to one of the towers. I assume, although your article does not address it, that this is Ameren's right of way and I for one applaud them for doing what they can to maintain our power grid. A majority of people directly impacted by the power outages of 2007 would also likely applaud these measures after being out of power in the middle of the winter. It would be nice if you dug in a little deeper and reported how critical these power lines are to the area. Where is that question of Ameren? Given the size of the lines, I would guess they are feeding a fairly significant portion of the west county area, so it is probably fairly important that they keep the towers clear of all brush, trees, etc. in case there are problems.
Jean Whitney
9:06 am on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Mike—good suggestion for the next story. Thanks. Kent Martin does say (in the existing article) that it's Ameren's "right of way."
Olivia H.
9:08 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Mike Molick - the second picture is of the opposite side of the creek from the big towers. We are upset about all the bushes and plants that were destroyed along the bank of the creek not by the towers. The bushes and plants by the creek only grow about 3 feet or so in the spring and summer months and then they all die off and turn brown and fall - so as to not interfere with any power lines. It is making the creek bed look like a tornado hit it and grass is not going to make it look any better. Come see for yourself.
Also in 2006 and 2007 - who DID have electricity the entire time through the bad ice storms - Greenleaf Estates! We are not talking about the huge towers that provide for a lot of the city - just the wires above the creek that would not have in any way been touched by what was taken out by Ameren the last week. It is really sad to kill off all the green plants and ruin the animals habitats/homes in that area. My kids are upset and very angry about this situation and do not understand why this had to happen.
Is this what Ameren uses all our money we pay to them for? Why not look down Schoettler Road and look at all the trees that are touching the power lines....when these bushes were not even close to affecting the power wires by the creek.
Jean Whitney
11:45 pm on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
I just remembered something. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the high voltage electric wire towers are placed right down the middle of the creek beds, all in a row. Looked odd, but I guess it kept the foliage away from them?