All posts by John S. Quarterman

Duke Energy buys into Sabal Trail

May 5, 2015Alabama, Economy, Florida, Georgia, North CarolinaAlabama, Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Dominion, Duke Energy, Economy, Florida, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, NextEra Energy, North Carolina, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Virginia, West VirginiaJohn S. Quarterman

Are Spectra and FPL running short on money so they have to take on a new investor? Has the opposition cost them $225 million already?

The AP story includes two misconceptions. After protests continuing into this year, a criminal trespass lawsuit against Sabal Trail, and multiple parties filing amicus briefs, this is all AP remembers:

The pipeline drew protests from southwest Georgia residents last year, who said they do not want a pollution-emitting compression station near their homes.

And despite Sabal Trail’s continued failure to demonstrate need, AP repeats this old canard:

Currently there are only two major pipelines that deliver natural gas to Florida. Both are nearing capacity.

Not if the Sunshine State gets on with solar power, like even the most corrupt state (Georgia) is doing.

Interestingly, there’s no press release from any of Sabal Trail, Spectra, NextEra, or FPL about this, but there’s this obviously slanted Duke Energy PR, 5 May 2015, Duke Energy buys 7.5% of previously announced Sabal Trail pipeline that will meet growing need for natural gas in Southeast U.S., Continue reading Duke Energy buys into Sabal Trail →

Kinder Morgan campaign contributions to GA Gov. Deal and Lt. Gov. Cagle

May 5, 2015Economy, Georgia, LNG, PoliticsCasey Cagle, Economy, El Paso Pipeline Partners, Elba Island, EPB, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, KMI, LNG, Nathan Deal, Politics, Sabal Trail Transmission, SONAT, Southern Natural Gas, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Kinder Morgan contributed to the campaigns of Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, and to numerous other elected officials, similar to Spectra Energy PAC and many other pipeline companies or associated political action committees. Could this have something to do with how Georgia state officials are not being very helpful to the citizens who overwhelmingly oppose both Kinder Morgan’s proposed Palmetto petroleum products pipeline through eastern Georgia and Spectra’s proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline through southwest Georgia? Could it explain why the Georgia government seems to be treating both pipelines as if they were public-private partnerships with the state?

Searching Georgia Campaign Finance Commission campaign records show Kinder Morgan (KMI) subsidiary Southern Natural Gas (SONAT) contributed to a whole bunch of people, including Casey Cagle: Continue reading Kinder Morgan campaign contributions to GA Gov. Deal and Lt. Gov. Cagle →

Why Georgia Doesn’t Need the Palmetto Pipeline –Poets Love Birds

May 4, 2015Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, WaterAltamaha River, Chattahoochee River, Economy, environment, FERC, Flint River, Florida Aquifer, Georgia, greed, John S. Quarterman, karst, Kinder Morgan, limestone, Ogeechee River, Palmetto Pipeline, Sabal Trail Transmission, Santa Fe River, Satilla River, Savannah River, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, St. Mary's River, Suwannee River, Water, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

The Suwannee River faces invasion by both Kinder Morgan’s Palmetto petroleum products pipeline and Spectra Energy’s Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline. Plus the Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha, Satilla, and St. Mary’s River are threatened by the Palmetto Project, Chattahoochee, Flint, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers are threatened by Sabal Trail, plus most both projects is above the fragile Floridan Aquifer. All for no known local benefit; just to profit corporate greed.

Curtis and Norma Beaird, Poets Love Birds, 30 April 2015, Why Georgia Doesn’t Need the Palmetto Pipeline: Our Filing to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),

We are writing this article because we are very concerned about the proposed Palmetto Pipeline to be built in the state of Georgia. Kinder Morgan plans to build 360-mile pipeline that will run from Belton, South Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida. According to the Savannah Riverkeeper, 218 miles of the pipeline will be in Georgia and 142 miles of the pipeline will be built in South Carolina. This pipeline would move refined petroleum products, to include denatured fuel ethanol. …
According to Push Back the Pipeline:

In the continental U.S., there are only 42 free-flowing rivers greater than 124 miles in length. Georgia contains five of these rivers, three of which are in the path of the proposed pipeline, Altamaha, Ogeechee, and Satilla Rivers. The Okefenokee Swamp is also the headwaters of the St. Marys and the Suwanee River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico.

Georgia also contains most of the free-flowing 205-mile Alapaha River, which fortunately isn’t currently the target of any pipeline. However, Spectra Energy proposes to gouge its Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline under the 115-mile Withlacoochee River in Georgia. And Sabal Trail would cross the Suwannee River in Florida, so the Suwannee is a target of both pipelines: Palmetto in Georgia, and Sabal Trail in Florida.

Here’s Curtis Beaird’s FERC filing, which notes that Kinder Morgan has not proven any need Continue reading Why Georgia Doesn’t Need the Palmetto Pipeline –Poets Love Birds →

528 showed up against Palmetto Pipeline when 150 expected

April 25, 2015GeorgiaBryan County, Burke County, Department of Transportation, DOT, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, Palmetto Project, SpectraBusters, Statesboro, WaynesboroJohn S. Quarterman

No Public Need, Just Pollution and Greed, said the sign that summed up the overwhelming sentiment of the public.

Jeff Whitten, Bryan County News, 24 April 2015, Proposed Palmetto Pipeline draws little support: Dozens speak out against Kinder Morgan at hearing,

Speaker after speaker stood up before a packed room to voice opposition to the pipeline and Kinder Morgan’s application to the Georgia Department of Transportation for a certificate of necessity and convenience.

The DOT said 528 people came to the hearing, and the agency plans to hold another hearing May 7 in Waynesboro. It also would take written comments through May 15.

If granted, the certificate would allow Kinder Morgan to Continue reading 528 showed up against Palmetto Pipeline when 150 expected →

Video dramatization of landowner receiving Sabal Trail eminent domain threatening letter

April 21, 2015Georgia, Law, Lowndes Countyeminent domain, Georgia, Larry Rodgers, Law, Lowndes County, O.C.G.A. 22-3-88, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WACEJohn S. Quarterman

Lowndes County citizen Larry Rodgers received this letter from Sabal Trail as dramatized in this video, which also contains many “Pipeline? No!” signs with spectrabusters.org on them, thanks to WACE. That letter and a response by Larry Rodgers’ attorney Bill Langdale are included with the SpectraBusters letter to the judge in Leesburg, GA, where Sabal Trail is demanding eminent domain authority against other landowners, and those landowners are countersuing for criminal trespass. Continue reading Video dramatization of landowner receiving Sabal Trail eminent domain threatening letter →

Sabal Trail repeatedly sent letters to landowners claiming Georgia eminent domain authority –SpectraBusters to judge

April 17, 2015Brooks County, Colquitt County, Dougherty County, Georgia, Law, Lee County, Lowndes County, Stewart CountyAlton Paul Burns, Bell, Brooks County, Case number 14CV208RS, Colquitt County, criminal trespass, Dougherty County, eminent domain, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Judge Rucker Smith, Law, Lee County, Leesburg, Lowndes County, Mitchell County, O.C.G.A. 22-3-88, SpectraBusters, Stewart County, trespassJohn S. Quarterman

SpectraBusters sent examples of Sabal Trail’s many threats of eminent domain, in this letter to Leesburg for the ongoing eminent domain and criminal trespass trial.

Re: Case number 14CV208RS
Judge Rucker Smith

To: Cindy Clark
Civil Deputy Clerk
County Courthouse
100 Leslie Highway
Leesburg, Georgia 31763

If it please the court,

SpectraBusters, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit corporation with board members and other participants in all three states directly affected by the Sabal Trail proposed pipeline: Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. The SpectraBusters board voted Monday March 30th 2015 to send this letter to the court to express our concerns about Sabal Trail’s attempts to claim Georgia eminent domain long before it tried to claim customers in Georgia, as well as possible ill effects throughout the pipeline route, especially in Georgia, if the judge were to rule in this case for application of Georgia eminent domain. Even with Sabal Trail’s claimed agreement with the Metropolitan Gas Authority of Georgia (MGAG), Sabal Trail is still “a long way” Continue reading Sabal Trail repeatedly sent letters to landowners claiming Georgia eminent domain authority –SpectraBusters to judge →

Leesburg hearing

April 9, 2015LawJohn S. Quarterman

Still Tim to file an amicus brief.

Georgia has no use for new pipelines –AJC

April 6, 2015Colquitt County, Compressor, Dougherty County, Environment, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, WaterAtlanta, Atlanta Gas Light, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Colquitt County, compressor, conservation, Coweta County, Dalton Expansion Project, Dan Chapman, Dan Coleman, Don Theime, Dougherty County, environment, Georgia, Greenlaw, Houston, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lowndes County, Palmetto Pipeline, Palmetto Project, pipeline, Push Back the Pipeline, river, Sabal Trail Transmission, Savannah Riverkeeper, south Georgia, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Steve Caley, Ted Turner, Texas, Transco, Water, watershed, Williams Company, Withlacoochee River, WWALS, WWALS Watershed CoalitionJohn S. Quarterman

Four pipeline projects surround Atlanta, and Georgia’s governor won’t comment. Spectra’s Andrea Grover did, though, saying the Albany compressor station would be no louder than “a modern-day dishwasher.”

Dan Chapman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3 April 2015, Pipeline project fuels fight on state’s future,

VALDOSTA — Southwest Georgia is roiling mad over a proposed gas pipeline to Florida that virtually nobody in Atlanta, except Ted Turner, has heard about.

John Carlton looks over a gopher tortoise hole a few feet away from a 1954 easement for an 8 inch natural gas line on his property at Morrison Pines Plantation in Moultrie. The planned Sabel Trail pipeline would run 50 feet over from the existing line. Carlton is undecided on the proposal.
Photograph credit: Curtis Compton, AJC

Electric Power & Light has more of the text: Continue reading →

Likely loss of drilling fluid in limestone under rivers –FL DEP to FERC

April 2, 2015Alachua County, Brooks County, Columbia County, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hamilton County, Hazards, Leak, Lowndes County, Suwannee County, Waterbedrock, cave, drilling, fluid, HDD, horizontal direcitgonal drilling, John S. Quarterman, karst, LiDAR, limestone, Santa Fe River, sinkhole, SpectraBusters, Suwannee River, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

Apparently the Florida Department of Environmental Protection complained to FERC that any drilling under our blackwater rivers would leak contaminants into the karst limestone that contains our drinking water Floridan Aquifer:

Update 2015-04-03: Additions now that FERC eLibrary is working, including third point below.

Sabal Trail underestimated karst features—additional, more recent data available from agencies including LiDAR, potentiometric surface maps, and cave maps.
Highest agency concern is associated with likely loss of drilling fluid associated with HDDs in limestone bedrock including at the Suwannee, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee rivers.
Drilling fluid loss would have an environmental impact; risk and magnitude of impact on groundwater, wells and springs should be based on updated, site-specific information.

Filed with FERC 1 April 2015 as Continue reading Likely loss of drilling fluid in limestone under rivers –FL DEP to FERC →

Seize the opportunity to end fossil fuels and soar with sun, wind, and water power

March 30, 2015History, Solardivestment, gas, History, John S. Quarterman, Naomi Klein, oil, solar, SpectraBusters, windJohn S. Quarterman

The opportunity is here right now, with oil and gas dropping while solar power goes up like a rocket. We can end the century-long domination of fossil fuels and get on with a cleaner, safer, more prosperous world powered by sun, wind, and water. Oh, and pry those clammy oily hands off our political systems while we’re at it. Solar power is going to win anyway. And we have the opportunity to speed that victory fast enough to stop the fracking-junkie pipeline push, including stopping Sabal Trail and the Palmetto Pipeline.

Jon Queally, Commondreams, 25 March 2015, Naomi Klein: Shock of Oil Price Plunge Is Opportunity World Must Seize,

“Sometimes capitalism gives us a gift, and the sudden drop in oil prices is one of them. Think of what we could do, in rolling out renewable energy, for instance. We could take power and wealth generation away from multinationals and put it into the hands of communities. And we could ensure that the jobs paid a living wage and went to the people who need it most. The same goes for our food and transit systems.”

Continue reading →