All posts by John S. Quarterman

Etowah River boring incident, Transco Dalton Expansion Project pipeline

May 5, 2016FERC, Georgia, SafetyBartow County, CP15-117, Dalton Expansion Project, Debra Johnson, FERC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, river, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, SMPP, Southeast Market Pipelines Project, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Transco, Transcontinental Pipeline Company, WWALSJohn S. Quarterman

Transco spilled oil into the Etowah River, the same Transco of the Hillabee Expansion Project in the Southeast Market Pipelines Project with Sabal Trail. According to a local report Transco did nothing to clean up the oil or damage to the riverbed. This was part of Transco’s Dalton Expansion Project, FERC docket CP15-117, one of the many segmented projects discovered by WWALS Watershed Coalition that should have been considered cumulatively by FERC as part of SMPP, according to FERC’s own rules and a federal court ruling.

The Etowah River crossing is by open cut instead of HDD. Here’s why. FERC Accession Number: 20160502-5381, “EPA Region 4 review/comments for Dalton Expansion EA, CP15-117”, Continue reading Etowah River boring incident, Transco Dalton Expansion Project pipeline →

Sabal Trail sues Georgia landowners for federal eminent domain –Atlanta Journal Constitution

May 2, 2016Colquitt County, Dougherty County, Georgia, History, Law, TexasAlbany, Bob Graham, Colquitt County, Columbus, Dougherty County, Florida, Georgia, Greenlaw, History, John S. Quarterman, Law, Moultrie, Pennsylvania, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sandra Jones, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Steve Caley, Ted Turner, Texas, Westmoreland CountyJohn S. Quarterman

Which Houston, Texas pipeline company has sued Ted Turner, Bob Graham, and dozens of other Georgia landowners, including a Georgia Centennial Farm? That’s right, Spectra Energy, as in the Sabal Trail fracked methane boondoggle.

Dan Chapman, AJC, 1 May 2016, South Georgia pipeline fight turns into battle over eminent domain,

A Texas company wants to condemn private property in Georgia for a pipeline to deliver energy to Florida.

Continue reading →

Ask Leesburg, FL City Council not to tap fracked methane from Sabal Trail 2016-04-25

April 25, 2016Florida, Lake CountyFlorida, Johanna deGraffenreid, John S. Quarterman, Lake County, Leesburg, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Lake County, FL residents especially please go to this meeting.

Scott Callahan, Daily Commercial, 25 April 2016, Leesburg may tap into gas pipeline,

LEESBURG — Some affected landowners and environmentalists may not be happy with plans for a new gas pipeline through Lake County, but the city of Leesburg considers it a blessing….

City commissioners will consider the tap request during tonight’s commission meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Thanks to Continue reading Ask Leesburg, FL City Council not to tap fracked methane from Sabal Trail 2016-04-25 →

SpectraBusters leaflets Sabal Trail in Live Oak 2016-04-20

April 21, 2016Compressor, Economy, Environment, Ethics, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, Suwannee County, USACEApalachicola Riverkeeper, compressor, Dan Tonsmeire, Earth Ethics, Economy, environment, Ethics, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gulf Restoration Network, John S. Quarterman, Law, Marion County, Ocala, Our Santa Fe River, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sierra Club, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, St. Johns Riverkeeper, Suwannee County, Suwannee-St Johns Group, USACE, Whitey Markle, WWALS Watershed CoalitionJohn S. Quarterman

“No fracking!” said the students, as nine people protested outside Sabal Trail’s Contractor Fair at RiverOak Technical College, Live Oak, Suwannee County, Florida yesterday, 20 April 2016. SpectraBusters, Suwannee-St Johns Group of Sierra Club Florida, and WWALS were among the groups with members on the ground, with the other groups listed on the flyer we were passing out there in spirit to say Shortterm jobs are not worth longterm Sabal Trail risk. Here’s the press release, which was picked up by Valdosta Today.

Many thanks to Continue reading SpectraBusters leaflets Sabal Trail in Live Oak 2016-04-20 →

Live Oak

April 20, 2016UncategorizedJohn S. Quarterman

Short-term jobs are not worth long-term Sabal Trail risk –Locals to Sabal Trail jobs-seekers at Contractor Fairs

April 18, 2016Compressor, Economy, Environment, Ethics, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, Marion County, Suwannee County, USACEApalachicola Riverkeeper, Dan Tonsmeire, Earth Ethics, Gulf Restoration Network, John S. Quarterman, Marion County, Ocala, Our Santa Fe River, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sierra Club, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, St. Johns Riverkeeper, Suwannee County, Suwannee-St Johns Group, Whitey Markle, WWALS Watershed CoalitionJohn S. Quarterman

PR sent tonight to about 100 news media:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Live Oak, FL, April 18, 2016 — Local residents and half a dozen environmental organizations want applicants at Sabal Trail pipeline job fairs to know a job for a few weeks isn’t worth risking drinking water for all our families and children and grandchildren. Opponents of the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline and supporters of solar power include the Suwannee-St Johns Sierra Club Group, St Johns Riverkeeper, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Our Santa Fe River, Earth Ethics, Gulf Restoration Network, and SpectraBusters.

Sabal Trail is holding what it calls Contractor Fairs 11AM to 2PM on two days this week, not for people to actually install the pipeline, rather for Continue reading Short-term jobs are not worth long-term Sabal Trail risk –Locals to Sabal Trail jobs-seekers at Contractor Fairs →

Partial win at FPL Hendry County proposed power plant 2016-04-12

April 11, 2016Florida, Hendry County, SolarFlorida, FPL, Hendry BOCC, Hendry County, Indian, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, Seminole, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Local opposition has gotten a proposed FPL fracked methane power plant away from the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, and part of FPL’s site converted to a proposed solar plant. More can be done, but this shows county commissions can fight even mighty FPL, plus Sabal Trail’s pipeline, the likely source of the gas.

FPL wanted rezoning March 8th, but Hendry County Commissioners postponed it until April 12th, which is tomorrow. Eileen Soler, Seminole Tribune, 29 March 2016, Another delay for Hendry FPL plant hearing, Continue reading Partial win at FPL Hendry County proposed power plant 2016-04-12 →

Two Sabal Trail-feeding pipelines delayed by FERC due to opposition

April 9, 2016FERC, PennsylvaniaAtlantic Sunrise, chutzpah, FERC, GAO, General Accounting Office, investigate, John S. Quarterman, PennEast, Pennsylvania, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, suspended, Transco, Transcontinental Pipeline Company, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

Williams talked up Atlantic Sunrise to feed Transco and Sabal Trail, and Spectra bought into Penneast. Now both have been delayed many months, shortly after the Georgia legislature resoundingly rejected river-drilling easements for Sabal Trail and Hamilton and Suwannee Counties, Florida and WWALS Watershed Coalition asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to come see the sinkholes, springs, and caverns Sabal Trail didn’t tell FERC about. You can ask Congress to get the GAO to investigate FERC.

Elizabeth Skrapits, Popular Resistance, 2 April 2016, FERC Postpones Decisions On Two Gas Pipeline Projects, Continue reading Two Sabal Trail-feeding pipelines delayed by FERC due to opposition →

Ask GAO to investigate why FERC Doesn’t Work

April 9, 2016Ethics, FERC, Law, Politicsabuses of power, Congress, conservation, corruption, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Ethics, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, GAO, Government Accountability Office, independent investigation, interstate natural gas pipelines, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG export, north Florida, pipeline, Politics, regulatory capture, river, south Georgia, SpectraBusters, watershed, WWALS, WWALS Watershed CoalitionJohn S. Quarterman

You can support hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals who have already asked Congress to:

Help secure an independent investigation by the Government Accountability Office into the abuses of power, process and law by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) when it comes to interstate natural gas pipelines and LNG export facilities. Write your congressional representative now to urge their help in securing this necessary independent review.

Here’s a handy web form by Delaware Riverkeeper Network.

If you want something local to say, try reading Continue reading Ask GAO to investigate why FERC Doesn’t Work →

Sabal Trail Contractor Fairs: Ocala, Live Oak, Albany

April 9, 2016Alabama, Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, Florida, Georgia, Marion County, Osceola County, Suwannee County, Tallapoosa CountyAlabama, Albany, Alexander City, compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, Florida, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Kissimmee, Live Oak, Marion County, Ocala, Osceola County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, Tallapoosa CountyJohn S. Quarterman

Update 10 April 2016: And Moultrie, GA April 15th.

Trying to attract local support in counties where it wants compressor stations, Sabal Trail is holding Contractor Fairs, ignoring that:

Suwannee County told Sabal Trail to move the Hildreth Compressor Station.
Suwannee County this week followed Hamilton County in asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to come see what Sabal Trail didn’t tell FERC about sinkholes, springs, underground caverns, plus numerous related pipelines, LNG export operations, and bomb trains schemes.
The Georgia House on March 22 voted by a historic 34 ayes to 128 nays to deny river-drilling easements for Sabal Trail, led among others by Rep. Winfred Dukes of Albany, where Sabal Trail wants to drill under the Flint River and build a compressor station in an environmental justice community.

Look in the dictionary under chutzpah (insolence), and you’ll see Sabal Trail’s picture. Two years ago in Gilchrist County, FL, Sabal Trail admitted Continue reading Sabal Trail Contractor Fairs: Ocala, Live Oak, Albany →