Monthly Archives: November 2014

Earthquakes in Oklahoma: FPL wants to frack there to ship through Sabal Trail

November 10, 2014Fracking, LNG, OklahomaFPL, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, LNG, LNG export, Oklahoma, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

FPL’s going to help frack on that other river you can see on that map in Olkahoma, so they can ship the gas through Sabal Trail to Florida, where there are three already-approved LNG export operations.

Matthew Nuttle, News9.com, 9 November 2014, Five Earthquakes Strike Within Minutes Of Each Other In Northern, Central OK,

OKLAHOMA CITY—A rash of earthquakes erupted in counties across northern and central parts of Oklahoma, Sunday night.

Five earthquakes in all were recorded between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., the most of which occurred near the town of Medford, Okla.

-jsq

Testing

November 7, 2014UncategorizedJohn S. Quarterman

Checking to see how this test will post.

Ecomment to FERC by Nov 15th

November 6, 2014FERCFERC, Florida Southeast Connection, FPL, FSC, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, NextEra Energy, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Transco, Williams Companyspectrabusters

Facebook event: Due to local opposition to an unnecessary fracked methane pipeline, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) made Sabal Trail (FPL and Spectra Energy) produce four new route alternatives, and FERC set a deadline of November 15th for comments on them.

http://spectrabusters.org/2014/10/15/sabal-trail-notice-of-eis-intent-and-route-alternatives-2/

Here’s how to send your ecomments to FERC before then: Continue reading Ecomment to FERC by Nov 15th →

FERC nervous about being watched

November 6, 2014FE, FERC, Law, LNG, Maryland, New YorkCove Point, FE, FERC, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Maryland, Minisink, New York, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBusters, transparencyJohn S. Quarterman

FERC can’t even say how many pipelines have been approved, rejected, or went forward even if approved; no wonder they’re being scrutinized.

Hannah Northey, E&E, 3 November 2014, FERC faces heightened scrutiny as gas projects proliferate,

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission these days is drawing a crowd of companies promoting projects linked to the U.S. natural gas boom and protesters who say the agency blithely greenlights too many pipelines, export terminals and other gas infrastructure.

Foes of a FERC-approved export terminal at Cove Point, Md., recently rallied Continue reading FERC nervous about being watched →

Spectra buys into PennEast Pipeline for Marcellus Shale fracked gas to Transco

November 6, 2014Fracking, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, SolarDallas, Doris Wood, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, Lucerne County, Marcellus Shale, Mercer County, New Jersey, PennEast, Pennington, Pennsylvania, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Titusville, Transco, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

Apparently Williams Company’s Atlantic Sunrise pipeline wasn’t enough to push Marcellus Shale fracked methane through Transco to Sabal Trail: Spectra Energy has bought directly into that action through yet another Pennsylvania pipeline.

PennEast also announced 17 October 2014 it prefiled as FERC docket PF15-1-000. And PennEast listed some Open Houses 10,12,13, and 18 November 2014 in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, so friends and colleagues may want to go there and object, like many did at the Atlantic Sunrise PF14-8 Scoping Meetings. FERC’s ecomment system has been flooded with objections ever since the pre-filing of 7 October 2014, such as this one of 9 October 2014: Continue reading Spectra buys into PennEast Pipeline for Marcellus Shale fracked gas to Transco →

Voters in birthplace of fracking ban it, Denton, TX sued

November 6, 2014Fracking, Politics, TexasBarnett Shale, Denton, Denton County, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, lawsuit, referendum, SpectraBusters, TexasJohn S. Quarterman

If the birthplace of fracking can’t live with it, who can? How about nobody?

Marice Richter, Reuters, 5 November 2014, Texas city bans fracking in its birthplace, court battles loom,

“Denton, Texas is where hydraulic fracturing was invented,” said Bruce Baizel, Earthworks energy program director. “If this place in the heart of the oil and gas industry can’t live with fracking, then who can?”

Fracking was pioneered at the Barnett shale formation where Denton is located. Exxon Mobil’s XTO unit honed its shale expertise in the natural gas-rich Barnett.

And the Barnett Shale is one of the sources of Spectra’s fracked methane that might go through the Sabal Trail pipeline. Continue reading Voters in birthplace of fracking ban it, Denton, TX sued →

FERC lost half of Dougherty County Sabal Trail resolution

November 5, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, Safetyactivists, community, compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, FERC, Florida, FPL, Georgia, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, need, Panhandle Route, Safety, SpectraBusters, transparencyJohn S. Quarterman

Update 2014-11-11: Thanks to Spencer Lee, Dougherty County Attorney, for sending the second page of the resolution, which does ask FERC to move the pipeline completely out of Georgia; see below. 2014-12-11: PDF of the two pages of the resolution and PDF of the entire FERC filing with the missing page interpolated.

FERC managed to lose the actual resolution on the second page of Dougherty County Commission’s FERC filing of today, but the WHEREASes are enough to see that DoCo says

….the health and welfare of our community will be severely compromised by the construction ofthe 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.

Here’s a PDF on SpectraBusters.org of today’s DoCo filing, in case FERC manages to lose that, too.

Here’s the WHEREAS page while we’re waiting on FERC to find the lost page, like it eventually did for Bill Kendall’s letter about lack of need, false pretense, and duress. Maybe FERC just can’t handle the truth?

14-019

A RESOLUTION
ENTITLED
A RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO THE 465 MILE INTERSTATE NATURAL GAS
PIPELINE PROPOSED BY SABAL TRANSMISSISON, LLC AS SAID PIPELINE
TRAVERSES THROUGH DOUGHERTY COUNTY; REPEALING RESOLUTIONS OR PARTS
OF RESOLUTIONS IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Continue reading FERC lost half of Dougherty County Sabal Trail resolution →

LNG exports would drive up domestic natural gas prices

November 3, 2014Economy, FE, LNGEconomy, EIA, Energy Information Administration, export, FE, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Office of Fossil Energy, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

EIA’s summary: “Increased LNG exports lead to increased natural gas prices”. How can that be “consistent with the public interest” when there’s a cheaper, faster, cleaner, and safer way that would not push domestic natural gas prices up, namely solar and wind power? So even if the Sabal Trail pipeline wouldn’t take your land, risk your family and drinking water, or cost your taxes to pay for any leaks or explosions, if it exports through even those three already-authorized LNG export operations where it leads in Florida, it would run up the price of natural gas in the U.S. You don’t even have to believe T. Boone Pickens: you can read this eia report that was commissioned by the very same Office of Fossil Energy that authorized those three LNG export operations.

U.S. Energy Information Administraiton, 29 October 2014, Effect of Increased Levels of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports on U.S. Energy Markets, Continue reading LNG exports would drive up domestic natural gas prices →