Here are two news reports (oddly, WALB doesn’t seem to have filed one) on yesterday’s listening session with U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02). These are brief extracts; there’s more in each article.

Cody Long wrote for Fox 31 yesterday, Deadline nears to hear pipeline comments,

There were about 50 people who showed up to the Government Center in downtown Albany. Some voiced their concerns to commissioners and the congressman about the Sabal Trail Transmission Gas Pipeline Project.

The pipeline would run through 24 miles of Dougherty County and would be capable of transporting up to one billion cubic feet of natural gas each day.

However, it would run through portions of privately owned land which has many residents upset. Concerns have also come up about a compression station to be built in a residential neighborhood.

Jim West wrote for the Albany Herald yesterday, Dougherty County residents air concerns about natural gas pipeline: U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop and local officials listen to Dougherty County residents objections to planned gas pipeline, saying local resident Melvin George was concerned about the aquifer and potential sinkholes, and that he said:

“We have the right to stand our ground and protect our land,” George said, voicing his opposition to the proposed pipeline and the eminent domain issues that would give Sabal Trail the right to complete the project.

Gary Hall, representing Kiokee-Flint, a watch group for the the Flint River and other water systems, agreed with George that Dougherty County’s geology is too unsuitable for the pipeline project, He also contended that the massive pumping station would be dangerous to the community.

“This is a huge machine pumping 24-hour-a-day air pollution,” Hall said, “especially carbon dioxide. I think (Sabal Trail) needs to be in a more remote location with more trees to absorb (the gas), and not around schools, houses and people.”

Hall said that Spectra Energy Corp., Sabal Trail’s parent company, has refused to reroute the project “even one mile,” claiming cost considerations that Hall said would be “peanuts” compared to the energy company’s profits of “at least” $350 Million over 10 years.

That’s Gary Hall pictured by Fox 31.

-jsq

Short Link: