All posts by John S. Quarterman

Sabal Trail is an insurgent invader; pipeline opponents are environmental patriots

Alabama, Environment, Florida, Georgia, History, Law, Safety, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The pipeline companies are invading insurgents, acting against the stated directions of local elected governments. Pipeline opponents, fighting for their land, water, air, safety, and children, are patriots.

Merriam Webster defines insurgent as:

a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government

Five Six counties and two cities in Georgia and Florida have so far passed resolutions against the Sabal Trail pipeline, and four state representatives have complained to FERC about it: here’s a list. That’s in addition to the other state and federal agencies that have complained to FERC. And in addition to the hundreds of individuals who have spoken at Sabal Trail’s Open Houses and FERC’s Scoping Meetings, overwhelmingly opposing the pipeline. And in addition to the numerous landowner, environmental, and political organizations that have passed resolutions, filed with FERC, and in many cases intervened with FERC against Sabal Trail’s application for a permit.

So if you see the people willing to put their time, money, and in many cases their freedom on the line; when you see the media call them insurgents, you know it’s a lie. Like Americans against invading redcoats, pipeline opponents are patriots.

One of many lies deliberately promoted by the fossil fuel industry. Eamon Javers wrote for CNBC 8 November 2011 Oil Executive: Military-Style ‘Psy Ops’ Experience Applied, Continue reading Sabal Trail is an insurgent invader; pipeline opponents are environmental patriots →

No eminent domain for water-threatening unnecessary Sabal Trail pipeline –GA Rep. Dexter Sharper District 177

Economy, Explosion, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hazards, Law, Lowndes County, Safety, Solar, Trees, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The state representative for Valdosta and parts of Lowndes County cited their two resolutions and enumerated lack of need for a pipeline, threatening letters from Sabal Trail, alternative routes next to a school, ill effects on business including on forestry and agriculture and private property valuations, potential sinkholes due to drilling under the Withlacoochee River, including on the preferred route, or anywhere in the fragile karst limestone containing the Floridan Aquifer, plus Spectra Energy’s own SEC filings say it doesn’t have insurance to cover the kinds of safety problems in Spectra’s own history nor those pointed out by Southern Natural Gas Company. Dexter Sharper noted local evidence that solar power is cheaper and safer, and echoed the Lowndes County Democratic Party in writing:

“…we have a moral obligation to leave our children and grandchildren with an earth as safe, beautiful, and majestic as the one bequeathed to us by our parents and grandparents.”

For all these reasons, on behalf of my constituents and the citizens of Lowndes County and the state of Georgia, I oppose the Sabal Trail pipeline anywhere in the County of Lowndes or the State of Georgia.

I urge that FERC reject any permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline, or at the very least move it entirely out of the State of Georgia.

Filed 7 January 2015 with FERC as Accession Number: 20150107-5100, “Comment of Dexter Sharper, Georgia State Representative, District 177, under CP15-17.” Continue reading No eminent domain for water-threatening unnecessary Sabal Trail pipeline –GA Rep. Dexter Sharper District 177 →

Williston fire and police station relocated due to sinkhole: Sabal Trail wants pipeline through there

Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hazards, Levy County, Lowndes County, Safety, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In a county already famous for sinkholes, the fire and police department just had to move off of a sinkhole. Sabal Trail wants to poke a yard-wide pipeline on a hundred-foot right of way right through that area, and under rivers, some of which already leak underground. How about solar power for the Sunshine State instead?

GTN News, 11 July 2014, Williston Has A New Sinkhole – UNDER the Police Dept. and Fire Station,

A new sinkhole in Williston, but it’s not forming just anywhere. It’s underneath the police station and fire department. GTN’s Hailey Holloway has more on the problem and what the city is trying to do to prevent a disaster.

Heavy rain getting into the Florida soil is causing the building to shift and crack and buckle.

“Unless by the grace of God it rains everywhere but Williston, we’re going to have issues.”

The problems started Continue reading Williston fire and police station relocated due to sinkhole: Sabal Trail wants pipeline through there →

Sinkholes and compressor hazardous waste: motion to intervene against Sabal Trail –GCCC

Compressor, Dougherty County, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Law, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sinkholes opening under the Flint or Chattahoochee Rivers, more hazardous waste from the proposed Albany, Georgia compressor station, these are a few of the things the Georgia Climate Change Coalition moved to intervene to prevent Sabal Trail Transmission from doing wiht its proposed pipeline.

It is highly likely that this pipeline would suffer from malfunction and damage, as the region it would cross is typically prone to the spontaneous opening of sink holes, such that would cause an infrastructure project of this type to fail….

The construction and operation of the compressor facility in Albany Georgia would contribute to the hazardous waste produced by Georgia’s existing electricity infrastructure.

Here’s how to file a motion to intervene with FERC.

GCCC filed with FERC 26 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141226-5005, “(doc-less) Motion to Intervene of Georgia Climate Change Coalition under CP15-17, et. al..”

Submission Description: (doc-less) Motion to Intervene of Georgia Climate Change Coalition under CP15-17-000, et. al..

Submission Date: 12/24/2014 10:56:07 PM

Filed Date: 12/26/2014 8:30:00 AM

Dockets
CP15-17-000 Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC submits its Abbreviated Application for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity and Related Authorizations for the Sabal Trail Project – Volumes I, III, and IV. CP15-16-000 Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC submits an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for its Hillabee Expansion Project CP14-554-000 Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and for Related Authorizations of Florida Southeast Connection, LLC under CP14-

Filing Party/Contacts: Filing Party, Signer (Representative), Other Contact (Principal)
Georgia Climate Change Coalition athenscompost@gmail.com

Basis for Intervening:

The Georgia Climate Change Coalition seeks to intervene in the permitting process of the Sabal Trail Transmissions natural gas pipeline because of many obvious threats the construction poses to our natural environment in Georgia, and in other states as well. In Georgia the Sabal Trail pipeline would cross both the Flint and the Chattahoochee Rivers, and their watersheds. The Flint river is the most endangered river in Georgia. Construction of the pipeline would greatly disturb these water systems. Both these river systems provides drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people as well as providing wildlife habitat.

It is highly likely that this pipeline would suffer from malfunction and damage, as the region it would cross is typically prone to the spontaneous opening of sink holes, such that would cause an infrastructure project of this type to fail. The region is known as the Karst limestone aquatic system, and the aquifer would be polluted by a natural gas spill from this pipeline.

Another pressing concern of the Georgia Climate Change Coalition regards the proposed compressor station in Albany Georgia. As a statewide coalition we are concerned with the effects of climate change and pollution on Georgia as a whole. We are most concerned by the fact that the facility would operate on electricity generated by Georgia’s coal-fired power grid. Georgia is home to the dirtiest coal fired power plants in our nation, and is among the ten dirtiest places in the world due to the particulate ash and water pollution generated by our coal fired power plants. The construction and operation of the compressor facility in Albany Georgia would contribute to the hazardous waste produced by Georgia’s existing electricity infrastructure.

-jsq

Christmas Eve Williams pipeline explosion evacuates residents

Explosion, Pennsylvania, Washington County, West Virginia, , , , , ,

Merry Christmas from the fossil fuel industry!

Amy Wadas wrote for KDKA CBS Pittsburgh 25 December 2014, Pipeline Explosion Pushes Residents Out Of Homes On Christmas Eve,

Neighbors say flames were so bright they light the sky orange. The explosion was also so loud, they say it rocked their homes.

“I went upstairs to change and get ready for bed. I came down and looked out the side window. There’s a big ball of fire blowing up out of that thing,” neighbor Tracy Sampson said.

Tracy Sampson lives right next to Continue reading Christmas Eve Williams pipeline explosion evacuates residents →

Beware pipeline trespassers during holidays

FERC, Law, New York, , , , , , , , , ,

Lock your gates and call the sheriff and a lawyer if you see any signs of pipeline trespass, and complain to the state Attorney General, advises someone dealing with Williams’ Constitution Pipeline, and since Sabal Trail has already had a criminal trespass trial, we can’t expect them to be any better. Just because you’re on holiday the rest of this week, don’t assume the pipeline company is. And you’ll probably need an attorney for those eminent domain lawsuits if Sabal Trail gets a FERC permit, so file your motion to intervene or ecomment today.

Chip Northrup wrote for No Fracking Way, Pipeline Threatens Then Trespasses, Continue reading Beware pipeline trespassers during holidays →

SpectraBusters moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al.

Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, History, Law, LNG, Safety, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No domestic need for the fracked methane, which Spectra Energy’s CEO has said it wants to export; no insurance despite Spectra’s track record of safety violations; environmental destruction of water and soil: for these and other reasons SpectraBusters, Inc. has filed a motion to intervene with all three parts of the fracked methane pipeline project including Sabal Trail, using a form of filing that other groups could copy.

300x222 All three dockets selected, in How to intervene, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 17 December 2014 How can eminent domain be conferred on Sabal Trail, where there is no benefit to the public, there is zero provision for disaster accountability, and no real attempt at a real environmental impact study? Along with the EPA, a taxpayer funded agency, we’d like answers to these questions that we have posed to FERC for the past year.

Here’s how you or your organization can file a motion to intervene.

Filed with FERC 24 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141224-5069, “Motion to Intervene of SpectraBusters, Inc. under CP15-17, et. al..” Continue reading SpectraBusters moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al. →

Albany, MGAG, and Brooks County, GA moved to intervene with Sabal Trail

Brooks County, Dougherty County, FERC, Georgia, Law, , , , , , , , , , ,

Yesterday’s crop of intervenors included Brooks County, Georgia, Albany Audubon Society, and Albany, Georgia, the county seat of Dougherty County, which filed the previous day, Today’s the deadline! Here’s how to file a motion to intervene.

Plus yesterday the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia (MGAG) filed. MGAG is the customer Sabal Trail claimed in Georgia so it could try to exercise Georgia eminent domain. Sabal Trail said Dougherty and Colquitt were the counties despite both Dougherty County and Albany having already passed resolutions wanting no Sabal Trail in their city, county, or state, Colquitt County having passed a resolution against the pipeline, and the Mayor of Moultrie saying on WCTV that Moultrie had never been asked if they needed or wanted any gas.

Maybe today we’ll see motions to intervene by Lowndes County and Valdosta, both of which have passed resolutions against the pipeline.

That Brooks County motion is hard to find, being filed as Continue reading Albany, MGAG, and Brooks County, GA moved to intervene with Sabal Trail →

Constitution Pipeline files eminent domain lawsuits

Compressor, FERC, Law, New York, Pennsylvania, , , , , , , , , , ,

Landowners in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida will get sued for eminent domain if we let the Sabal Trail pipeline get approved by FERC like FERC just approved the Constitution pipeline. Tomorrow is the deadline to file a motion to intervene against the Sabal Trail pipeline. That’s not the only thing that needs doing, but you can do it right now.

On 2 December 2014 FERC approved Williams Company’s Constutiontion Pipeline through Pennsylvania and New York, and a compressor station. (Joe Mahoney, Daily Star, 3 December 2014.

Julia Reischel, Watershed Post, 22 December 2014, Constitution Pipeline files 55 eminent domain lawsuits against Catskills landowners,

Since Dec. 12, the Constitution Pipeline has filed formal eminent domain proceedings against 55 landowners along the pipeline’s proposed 124-mile route through Schoharie, Delaware and Chenango counties, federal court records show.

The pipeline, which received conditional approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Dec. 2, has wasted no time Continue reading Constitution Pipeline files eminent domain lawsuits →

A flood of motions to intervene filed: still two days to go to Sabal Trail deadline

Alabama, Dougherty County, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The trickle turns to a flood of motions to intervene being filed for the FERC dockets of Sabal Trail, Transco’s Hillabee Expansion Project, and Florida Southeast Connection. Two elected county governments have filed, one of them in all three dockets. Other counties and cities and even states can dod the same.

Be sure to file in all three dockets: CP15-17, CP15-16, and CP14-554. It’s not enough to list them in your filing documents or description: you must file them on each docket. If you don’t find your filing in FERC’s docket search for each of the three dockets, you need to go back and file again in the other dockets. Here’s how to file for multiple dockets in a single Continue reading A flood of motions to intervene filed: still two days to go to Sabal Trail deadline →