Sabal Trail has not met its burden of proof of need, and its pipeline would be hazardous to environment and safety, resolved the Dougherty County Commission Monday. And now news media call it the “the pipeline fight” and the “controversial pipeline”. Visitors to Albany tell me people now bring up the pipeline unprompted in conversation. Last week’s very bad media week for Sabal Trail continues to get worse this week.
Franklin White, WFXL, 27 October 2014, Another step in the pipeline fight,
Officials say in the past year they’ve written four letters to Sabal Trails on behalf of Dougherty County citizens and businesses.
They say after the September meeting when Sabal Trail officials came to Dougherty County to explain why they chose SWGA to build the pipeline, County Commissioners found pipeline would do more harm than good.
Dougherty County Attorney Spencer Lee says, “they found there is no need for it and it’s likely to harm the environment and our socio-economic and culture activities.”
Christian McKinney, WALB, 27 October 2014, Dougherty Co. Commission goes on record, votes to oppose Sabal pipeline,
In a majority vote, commissioners approved a motion to go on the record in opposition to the proposed construction of the pipeline.
The controversial Sabal Trail pipeline would run from Alabama, through south Georgia to Florida.
It would include a compressor station near Hwy. 91 in Dougherty County.
Commissioners said the proposed site is near hundreds of homes.
Residents have already expressed concerns that it would increase noise, displace the wildlife, and cause health problems.
Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 27 October 2014, Dougherty County Commission passes anti-pipeline resolution: County board will send newly passed resolution to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said the resolution passed without discussion reads in part:
“Whereas, based on all of the information gleaned by and submitted to the board, we have become increasingly concerned that the health and welfare of our community will be severely compromised by the construction of the pipeline and any associated compressor stations within Dougherty County; and
“Whereas, it is clear to the board that, to this date, Sabal Trail has not articulated a justifiable need for the pipeline as it traverses Dougherty County.
“Now therefore, be it resolved by the Boad of Commissioners of Dougherty County and it is hereby resolved by authority of same as follows: At the present time our board feels that Sabal Trail has not met its burden of showing that the proposed pipeline is needed in Dougherty County and information received by the board indicates that our community will suffer numerous environmental and safety consequences as a result of the construction of the proposed pipeline and compressor station within Dougherty County.
“Thus, we are in opposition to the construction of the proposed pipeline in Dougherty County and request that FERC give serious consideration and analysis to alternate routes that avoid unstable geologic areas such as karst and sink hole-prone areas, that minimize impacts to drinking water and agricultural water supplies, that minimize impacts to wildlife habitat, forest, wetlands, streams and rivers, and that do not compromise socioeconomic and cultural issues.”
The reporter added:
The resolution asks FERC to consider a route that would go through Alabma to the Florida Panhandle, essentially bypassing Georgia.
Resolutions are good, and the one Hamilton County, Florida passed helped get the pipeline off the Withlacoochee River in Florida, not to mention to change Sabal Trail’s FERC filing date from 31 October 2014 to “sometime later this year”. Now if Dougherty County or some other county or counties would pass actual ordinances with legal teeth that would complicate FERC even issuing a permit. And remember, FERC is not the only deciding body. As even Spectra’s Andrea Grover admitted in an Alabama newspaper, many state agencies also have to sign off before a pipeline can be built. Especially about compressor stations, such as that one proposed for Albany, which requires a GA-EDP air permit permit, which request got immediate objectios from Ted Turner’s Nonami Plantation and Greenlaw. You, too, can object to GA-EPD, and to Georgia Department of Transportation, and to you local county commission and city government, and to U.S. EPA, and to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and yes, also to FERC.
-jsq
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