All posts by John S. Quarterman

Silent protest against Sabal Trail in Albany, GA

July 12, 2015Compressor, Dougherty County, Explosion, FERC, Georgia, LeakAndrea Grover, Chad Warbington, compressor, Darrel Ealum, Dinorah Hall, Dougherty County, Ewell Lyle, explosion, FERC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, leak, Maine, Roger Marietta, Searsmont, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Albany and Dougherty County are more opposed than ever to the invader from Houston.

Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 11 July 2015, Silent protest focuses on pipeline issues: Citizens gather to oppose natural gas pipeline, compressor station,

Even as a group of around 50 anti-pipeline activists gathered Saturday for a “silent protest” near the proposed site of a compressor station that would be part of the 460-mile Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline, an assumed candidate for Continue reading Silent protest against Sabal Trail in Albany, GA →

CHANOS: There’s a ‘disaster waiting to happen’ in the oil and gas industry

July 11, 2015UncategorizedJohn S. Quarterman

http://www.businessinsider.com/chanos-theres-a-disaster-waiting-to-happen-in-the-oil-and-gas-industry-2015-5

Stopping fracking means stopping pipelines: Yoko Ono et al. in the New York Times

July 10, 2015FERC, Fracking, Hazards, New York, PennsylvaniaCompressor Free Franklin, Constitution Pipeline, FERC, Food and Water Watch, Fracking, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Josh Fox, New York, New York Times, Obama, Pennsylvania, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sane Energy Project, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Stop the Pipeline, Yoko OnoJohn S. Quarterman

Gasland posted on facebook a picture of an ad against fracking, pipelines, and LNG export in the New York Times 9 July 2015 by Yoko Ono, Gasland, Food and Water Watch, and many other groups. You can sign onto that letter here.

Everything it says applies as much to Alabama, Georgia, and Florida and the Williams-Spectra-FPL Transco-Sabal Trail-FSC fracked methane pipeline chain as it does to New York and Williams’ “Constitution Pipeline”. Here are a few excerpts:

By now the whole world knows that Fracking is bad for your health! It is bad for communities and it is bad for the climate. That is why I am so glad that New York State and Governor Andrew Cuomo banned fracking.

But now we are facing the gas industry who are still trying to Frack New York. The fracked gas industry wants to build a pipeline that would cut across New York state like a scar that never heals. It goes by the ridiculous and Orwellian name “The Constitution Pipeline”. How dare they!

We cannot allow another poisonous plan for our beautiful state that we all love.

We must stop fracking, which means we must not transport fracked gas across our state where it is headed for foreign export markets. The danger to our homes, is also Continue reading Stopping fracking means stopping pipelines: Yoko Ono et al. in the New York Times →

Spectra already lost at FERC once; could also lose at NRC

July 7, 2015FERC, Hazards, History, LNG, New York, Rhode Island, SafetyAIM, Algonquin Gas Transmission, Algonquin Incremental Market, earthquake, fault, FERC, fire, Hazards, History, Hudson River, Indian Point, John Peconom, John S. Quarterman, LNG, New York, NRC, nuclear, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, oil, Providence, Rhode Island, Safety, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

FERC previously denied a Spectra pipeline, and now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) may prevent one. After three months of asking, John Peconom of FERC divulged how many pipelines FERC had ever denied: two, of which one was for a pipeline from an LNG site in Providence, Rhode Island, proposed by KeySpan LNG, L.P. and Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC, and denied by FERC 5 July 2005. According to Spectra Energy:

Continue reading →

Don’t let FERC and Spectra AIM fracked gas at Indian Point Nuke: petition

July 6, 2015FERC, Hazards, New YorkAIM, Algonquin Incremental Market, FERC, Hazards, Indian Point, John S. Quarterman, New York, nuclear, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

What’s worse than a nuclear power plant with forged safety documents on a fault line that catches fire and leaks oil into the Hudson River? A fracked methane pipeline right next to it, by a Houston company with a long rap sheet of safety violations! Please follow the link, sign this petition, and share widely.

Petition to New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Andrew Cuomo, Reject Siting of Massive New Spectra Gas Pipeline Next to Indian Point Nuclear Facility

And don’t forget to sign the Petition to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal: Oppose Sabal Trail like you oppose the Palmetto Pipeline.

-jsq

A pipeline partner admits LNG export is possible

June 28, 2015FERC, Florida, LNG, Martin County, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West VirginiaEQT Midstream Partners, FERC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, Hillabee Expansion Project, India, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Martin County, Mountain Valley Pipeline, NextEra Energy, Pennsylvania, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBusters, T. Boone Pickens, Transco, Virginia, West Virginia, WGL Midstream, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

FERC had been saying no LNG export, yet the pipeline partners said a year ago in their Open Season: “as well as deliveries to Cove Point LNG”. NextEra, co-owner of Sabal Trail Transmission, is one of the Mountain Valley Pipeline partners. Sabal Trail and FERC have told us Sabal Trail is not for LNG export, yet they never told us about an already-approved LNG export license right where the Sabal Trail pipeline chain goes in Florida.

Duncan Adams, Roanoke Times, 25 June 2015, Mountain Valley Pipeline partner says operation could be used for exports,

A partner in the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline confirmed this week that natural gas transported by the pipeline could be one supply source for liquefied natural gas bound for India.

The news comes after Paul Friedman, a project manager for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, repeatedly — and publicly — dismissed concerns last month from pipeline opponents that natural gas transported through the pipeline would be exported.

WGL Midstream has a Continue reading A pipeline partner admits LNG export is possible →

Call your Senators against TPP today

June 24, 2015Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LNGBill Nelson, David Perdue, Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority, Jeff Sessions, John S. Quarterman, Johnny Isakson, LNG, Marco Rubio, Richard Shelby, Senate, SpectraBusters, TPA, TPP, Trans-Pacific PartnershipJohn S. Quarterman

Turn one vote and actual approval of TPP will fail, because the pro-LNG-export pro-fracking pro-pipeline Trans-Pacific Partnership got Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) in the U.S. Senate yesterday “by the narrowest margin in the legislative mechanism’s history, 60-37. The procedural measure required 60 votes to pass.” So it’s time to call Florida Senator Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio (who apparently didn’t even read it), Georgia Senator David Perdue who claimed he wanted transparency and Johnny Isakson who should represent the people of Georgia, and all the other Senators who voted for that corporate power grab.

The most likely votes to turn are the Democrats who voted for. Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch, 23 June 2015, Blog Posts: Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP),

The 13 corporate trade backers included: Senators… Bill Nelson (D-Florida)….

Continue reading →

Deny Sabal Trail, said U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, and FERC ignored him

June 19, 2015Agriculture, Alabama, Compressor, Dougherty County, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, Law, Lee County, Safety, Stewart County, WaterAgriculture, Air, Alabama, Albany, aquifer, compressor, Dougherty County, eminent domain, FERC, FGT, Florida, Florida Gas Transmission, GDOT, Georgia, Georgia Department of Transportation, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, karst, Kinder Morgan, KMI, Law, lawsuit, Lee County, Mitchell County, noise, Palmetto Pipeline, pollution, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Sanford Bishop, sinkhole, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Stewart County, Transco, trespass, Water, Webster CountyJohn S. Quarterman

Citing the GDOT denial of KMI’s Palmetto Pipeline and numerous specific hazards of Spectra Energy’s proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline (sinkholes in karst limestone and a compressor station next to Albany’s water wells, all for no benefit to Georgia, by a company with a poor safety record), U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02) wrote to FERC (PDF):

I believe that FERC should deny STT’s application for a Certificate of Public Necessity.

And he told FERC to tell Sabal Trail to stop suing his constituents for eminent domain.

A year after Rep. Bishop listened in Albany for two hours to complaints about Sabal Trail, Dougherty County and Albany, Georgia filed followup letters to their resolutions against that pipeline. Neither FERC nor Sabal Trail answered them, so their Representative in the U.S. Congress forwarded their letters with that sharp cover letter. Three weeks later, FERC still hasn’t even filed his letter in their e-comment system, much less responded to it.

Just how lawless is FERC, anyway? Doesn’t a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations give them pause? Continue reading Deny Sabal Trail, said U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, and FERC ignored him →

FERC still stonewalling Dougherty County Commission and landowners about Sabal Trail

June 19, 2015Agriculture, Dougherty County, FERC, Hazards, Law, Safety, Trees, WaterAgriculture, air quality, Dougherty County, Dougherty County Commission, economic justice, FERC, forests, geology, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Law, Ned, noise, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, soil, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Trees, Water, wetlands, wildlifeJohn S. Quarterman

It’s not a short list; basically nothing Dougherty County previously asked has been answered by Sabal Trail or FERC:

They have not addressed the issues of (1) potential effects on geology and soil, (2) impacts on water resources and wetlands, (3) impacts on vegetation, forests, fisheries, wildlife and threatened species, (4) cumulative impacts, (5) public safety concerns, (6) purpose and need for the proposed pipeline, (7) alternatives to the preferred route, (8) air quality and noise and (9) socioeconomic factors – environmental justice.

Filed with FERC 6 April 2015 as Accession Number: 20150406-5144, “Comment of Dougherty County, Georgia under CP15-17.” Continue reading FERC still stonewalling Dougherty County Commission and landowners about Sabal Trail →

Albany wells in Sabal Trail’s path

June 19, 2015Dougherty County, FERC, Hazard, WaterAlbany, Dougherty County, FERC, Hazard, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Water, water supply, wellsJohn S. Quarterman

Does FERC care about Albany and Dougherty County’s water supply?

Filed with FERC 19 May 2015 as Accession Number: 20150519-5141, “Letter of concern for City of Albany’s water supply under CP15-17”:

City of Albany
POST OFFICE BOX 447
Albany, Georgia
31702-0447
Via Electronic Filing
May 19, 2015
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E., Room 1A
Washington, D.C. 20426
RE: Southeast Market Pipelines Project
Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC
Docket No. CP15-17-000
Docket No. CP14-16-000
Docket No. CP14-554-000
Dear Secretary Bose:
We wish to point out a special feature Continue reading Albany wells in Sabal Trail’s path →