SpectraBusters op-ed published by Ocala newspaper.
And the Sabal Trail pipeline still don’t pass the smell test.
Ocala Star-Banner, 16 November 2014, Sabal Trail pipeline not in the public interest.
Illustrated version, with links to the evidence: It don’t pass the smell test: FPL’s extra natural gas pipeline —SpectraBusters.
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Here are a few things you get with a pipeline easement:
no right to grow trees on it, limited right to put up fences,
and if you do, you have to have gates in them that the pipeline
company can put their own lock on.
But you do get to continue to pay taxes on land you can no longer
fully use; land that now contains a potentially corrosive, leaky,
explosive hazard that you can’t tap for your own use.
And you do get pipeline company contractors coming through at their
convenience to mow or otherwise clear the right of way.
Contractors who may be somewhat unclear on where the right of way
ends and your trees, for example, start.
Without ever having to notify you then or tell you later what happened.
And it’s even worse than that: you may get another pipeline, and meanwhile the pipeline company will claim rights over local governments and developments.
All while the world has changed and the sun has risen on a better way.
Produce the agreements that allegedly justify need:
Again, if SST is going to rely on precedent agreements to justify taking people’s private property by eminent domain, it should at least be required to produce the agreements.
And this:
Based on all of the above. it does not require much of a leap to assume that SST is planning to take people’s private property for private profit by enabling one of its parent owners.
Filed with FERC 14 November 2014, Comment of Gloria Gaines under PF14-1, submitted on behalf of State Representative Winfred Dukes. Continue reading Find that Sabal Trail has not met its burden to show the pipeline is needed –Winfred Dukes
And checkered pipeline company safety records, says Nonami:
The Project is Not Necessary and Thus Fails to Satisfy FERC Requirement of Being Publicly Necessary and Convenient
I’ve added a few links and illustrations, but Nonami’s filing is so thorough it would take a long time to link to all the evidence.
Filed with FERC 13 November 2014, Comment filed on behalf of Nonami Oglethorpe, LLC by Davis, Pickren, Seydel & Sneed, LLP under PF14-1. Continue reading An unnecessary threat by an unsafe company –Ted Turner’s Nonami Plantation to FERC about Sabal Trail
Disturbance of soil, exacerbating corrosion, needless risk through unnecessary crossings, and cutting corners through inappropriate boring methods: when even another pipeline company calls you out for those things, you’ve got a problem, Sabal Trail. And Southern Natural Gas just did that in ecomments to FERC.
SONAT should be worried about this after last week in Berrien County, Georgia:
Each crossing poses a risk during construction of the crossing as well as ongoing risks during operation and maintenance of the pipelines. Since the SNG pipeline must remain in service during construction of the crossings, each time Sabal Trail bores under, or cuts under, the SNG pipeline there is an increased risk that the integrity of the SNG pipeline will be compromised.
A humble county ditch puller
broke SONAT’s pipeline on Bradford Road,
resulting in Sheriff’s deputies from two counties, a city 911 vehicle,
and an ambulance being scrambled, in addition to a fleet of Kinder Morgan
vehicles.
And me, since this break was only a few miles from my house,
and the valve they used to turn off Berrien County is on my property.
Neighbors I’ve known all my life were evacuated.
One spark and they wouldn’t have had anything to come back to.
And this was a 9 or 10-inch pipeline at 800PSI.
Sabal Trail wants to run a 36-inch pipeline at twice the pressure,
more than 20 times the gas.
Why should any of us accept that risk for Sabal Trail’s corner-cutting profit?
You should have seen the face the Kinder Morgan rep on the spot pulled when I mentioned Sabal Trail. Now we can see spelled out what SONAT really thinks about their competitor, including: Continue reading Needless risk through unnecessary crossings –SONAT to FERC about Sabal Trail
Agritourism, economy, and environment were among the reasons
Terrell County followed
Dougherty County
and passed a resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline.
FERC didn’t post the County Chairman’s cover letter, but the County Clerk sent it to me.
What else has FERC neglected to post?
Filed with FERC 13 November 2014, Protest of Terrell County Board of Commissioners (Georgia) under PF14-1.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas has proposed building a $3.7 Billion, 460-mile gas pipeline from Central Alabama to Central Florida known as the Sabal Trail, and:
WHEREAS, a growing contingency of local and area residents have expressed opposition to construction of the pipeline and compressor stations used to force the natural gas through the pipelines, and:
WHEREAS, The construction of the pipeline through Terrell County, Georgia will severely impact agricultural and agiitourism businesses located in the county, and:
WHEREAS, it is clear to this board that the Sabal Trail will not Continue reading Agriculture over pipeline: Terrell County resolution against Sabal Trail
Don’t believe FERC is funded by the industries it regulates? Well, let’s look beyond FERC’s own About web page to its actual funding request to Congress. Maybe that will motivate you to ecomment to FERC right now, and to contact your local, state, and national elected and appointed officials.
Acting Chairman Cheryl A. LaFleur, FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, FY 2015 Congressional Performance Budget Request,
Full Cost Recovery
The Commission recovers the full cost of its operations through annual charges and filing fees assessed on the industries it regulates as authorized by the Federal Power Act (FPA) and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986. The Commission deposits this revenue into the Treasury as a direct offset to its appropriation, resulting in no net appropriation.
Clear enough that FERC is 100% funded by the industries it regulates?
That may seem like a win for the taxpayers.
But is it a win for you the local landowners Continue reading FERC recovers cost of operations through charges and fees from the industries it regulates –FERC FY14 Budget
The page FERC lost of the Dougherty County resolution against
the Sabal Trail pipeline asks FERC to move it completely out
of Georgia:
SECTION III We ask that serious consideration and analysis be given to the alternative route through the Panhandle of Florida, a copy of which is attached hereto.
The missing page is now integrated into the previous post. Thanks to Dougherty County Attorney Spencer Lee for sending it. And below is that Panhandle route, as filed by Sabal Trail with FERC in November 2013. Continue reading Consider Panhandle route: page 2 of Dougherty County Sabal Trail resolution
It’s time for more counties to follow Dougherty County’s lead and pass resolutions against the Sabal Trail pipeline. Local protests in Valdosta and citizens speaking before local governments emphasize that point.
Brittney Penland, VSU Spectator, Page 2, 6 November 2014, Students, faculty protest future pipeline,
Protestors gathered on Oct. 31 at the corner of Park Avenue and Patterson Street to argue against the building of the Sabal Trail gas pipeline.
The protesters were associated with VSU’s Students Against Violating the Environment and Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy. The costumes they were dressed in for Halloween attracted honking and “thumbs up’s” from those driving by.
Another protest is scheduled for today at Continue reading VSU Spectator covers pipeline protest at Valdosta Sabal Trail office
“Our lands, our final say. No pipeline.” –Freda Huson, Unist’ot’en spokeperson to Enbridge.
They’re in Canada and they never ceded their pre-existing rights to their clan territory. But we’re in the U.S. and we never ceded our rights in fee simple to our own land, water, and air, nor did we approve our taxes going to clean up any sinkholes, leaks, or explosions. I can’t necessarily endorse all their tactics, but I can say beaver is tasty and I’ve found seizing equipment that is illegally trespassing to be useful in the past.
AJ+, YouTube, 5 November 2014, How To Stop An Oil And Gas Pipeline: The Unist’ot’en Camp Resistance,
Over the past four years, Continue reading We’ve had enough of these spoiled pipeline brats stealing off of our lands. –Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en nation