FERC’s reps said their five Commissioners would decide in about a year, and Sabal Trail said they’d tune details and “educate the public” about the alleged “need” and “jobs” and “environmental safety” of their yard-wide fracked methane pipeline gouged through a hundred-foot right of way plus a compressor station. The public wasn’t having any of that in Albany, Georgia yesterday.

Update 30 Sep 2014: But that very same day, FERC rubberstamped Cove Point LNG in Maryland after “more than 140 speakers at three public meetings related to the Environmental Assessment and received more than 650 comments”, and that’s what we’re going to get with Sabal Trail, unless our elected and appointed officials go beyond talk and pass binding ordinances, deny permits, and countersue.

• Franklin White for WFXL 29 Sep 2014, Public information meeting held for proposed pipeline.
• Aaryn Valenzuela for WALB 29 Sep 2014, Citizens brave rain for pipeline meeting
• Carlton Fletcher wrote for the Albany Herald 29 September 2014, Public forum offers Dougherty County community opportunity to discuss pipeline: Federal, state officials on hand for public discussion of proposed pipeline,

  Paul Deloach, on hand to represent the Flint RiverKeeper, offered a not-so-friendly suggestion to Spectra Energy officials present Monday at a community forum called to discuss a proposed natural gas pipeline and compressor station that are expected to be located in Dougherty County.

  “I’ll give you an alternative route for this pipeline … out of Georgia!” Deloach said to the delight of a standing room only crowd at the downtown Government Center….

  “There is no community need for this project,” community activist Dinorah Hall, who has led local opposition to the proposed pipeline, said. “The only need is to fill Spectra energy’s pockets.” (Staff photo: Carlton Fletcher)

  Hall’s husband, Gary Hall, expressed outrage at “the glib manner in which Mr. Gonzalez waved off our air safety concerns.”

  “That was offensive, sir,” Hall said.

  Peconom said FERC will compile and present a draft Environmental Impact Statement after considering all aspects and public comments related to the project.

  “But we’ll bring it to you to make sure we got it right,” he said. “Once you’ve had an opportunity to comment, the final decision on the project will be made by the five-member FERC board.”

  Peconom said completing the draft EIS may take as long as a year.

• Carlton Fletcher wrote for the Albany Herald 29 Sep 2014,

  Gloria Gaines takes most biting shots at pipeline, government officials: Former Dougherty County commissioner speaks out at community meeting,

  When Gaines opened her memorable remarks with a barb directed at Spectra Energy Project Director Ed Gonzalez — “If you’d admitted even one negative impact during your presentation, we could have accepted the veracity of your comments” — she got everyone in the standing room only crowd’s attention. When, moments later, she commented, “You say you’ll bring jobs here, but we’ve seen no evidence of it. We have, though, seen all those people in their light blue Sabal Trail shirts, all of them from out of town and all of them white,” the visiting company and government officials knew this was no ordinary disgruntled citizen.

And lots more pictures and commentary by the public in Albany Georgia Against Sabal Trail (AGAST).

-jsq

Short Link: