All posts by John S. Quarterman

Nonami Oglethorpe moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al.

December 22, 2014FERC, Georgia, Law, WaterAlabama, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gulf of Mexico, John S. Quarterman, Law, Nonami Oglethorpe, SpectraBusters, Water, wetlandsJohn S. Quarterman

Ted Turner’s Nonami plantation near Albany, Georgia 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.

Intervenor is a landowner with land laying both within the proposed right-of-way corridor for the Sabal pipeline and within very close proximity to one of Sabal’s proposed compressor stations, thus exposing its property to condemnation and deleterious effects associated with the construction and operation of a natural gas transmission pipeline and deleterious effects of a compressor station.

Filed with FERC 22 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141222-5003, “Motion to Intervene of Nonami Oglethorpe, LLC under CP15-17.” Continue reading Nonami Oglethorpe moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al. →

Deaths and occupational hazards from fracking

December 21, 2014Fracking, PennsylvaniaAFL-CIO, Colorado, death, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, mortality, occupational hazards, Pennsylvania, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

People die from fracking, both from contamination and on the job.

Deaths from fracking contamination

Cause and effect is notoriously difficult to prove for deaths from chemical or radiation contamination, but here are some that seem very likely:

Sharon Kelly, Desmogblog.com, 24 July 2014, After Rancher’s Death, Calls for Fracking Health Study Grow Stronger,

Last month, Terry Greenwood, a Pennsylvania farmer whose water had been contaminated by fracking waste, died of cancer. He was 66 and the cause of death was a rare form of brain cancer.

His death drew attention Continue reading Deaths and occupational hazards from fracking →

Gulf Restoration Network moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al.

December 21, 2014Alabama, FERC, Florida, Law, WaterAlabama, FERC, Florida, GRN, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Restoration Network, John S. Quarterman, Law, SpectraBusters, Water, wetlandsJohn S. Quarterman

An environmental organization protecting the Gulf of Mexico and the wetlands and the streams and rivers flowing into it 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.

GRN is concerned that the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline, and other components of the Southeast Market Pipelines Project, is not justified by any existing need and that their construction and operation will unnecessarily destroy coastal wetlands and impair water quality in rivers and streams in Alabama and Florida, with attendant impacts on the Gulf.

Here’s how to file a motion to intervene. GRN’s was filed with FERC 19 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141219-5312, “Motion to Intervene of Gulf Restoration Network, Inc. under CP15-17, et al”. -jsq Continue reading Gulf Restoration Network moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al. →

FERC filing deadline 24 December 2014 –VDT

December 21, 2014FERC, Georgia, Law, Lowndes CountyFERC, Florida Southeast Connection, FSC, Georgia, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lowndes County, motion to intervene, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, STT, Transco, Valdosta Daily TimesJohn S. Quarterman

The newspaper of record in the county seat of the most populous county along the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline path between Auburn and Gainesville reminds everyone of the Christmas Eve filing deadline.

Joe Adgie, Valdosta Daily Times, 19 December 2014, Deadline nears for pipeline comments,

Residents wanting to file comments with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about the Sabal Trail pipeline have until Dec. 24 to do so….
Continue reading FERC filing deadline 24 December 2014 –VDT →

Hamilton County, FL moves to intervene with FERC on Sabal Trail

December 19, 2014FERC, Florida, Hamilton County, Law, LNG, WaterFERC, Florida, Hamilton County, John S. Quarterman, land, Law, LNG, motion to intervene, property rights, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Water, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

A first: a county moves to intervene! Hamilton County, Florida, which was also the first to pass a resolution against the pipeline; a resolution that was instrumental in getting Sabal Trail to move off the Withlacoochee River in Florida. All the other counties that have passed resolutions: you can also file motions to intervene.

Filed with FERC 18 December 2014, Accession Number: 20141218-5333 as “Motion to Intervene of Hamilton County, Florida Board of County Commissioners under CP15-17.” (PDF)

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

Docket No. CP15-17-000

Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC

MOTION TO INTERVENE

COMES NOW Hamilton County, a political subdivision of the State of Florida, identified in Section 7.24, Florida Statutes, by its Board of County Commissioners (“Intervenor”), pursuant to Rules 212 and 214 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (the “Commission”), 18 C.F.R. §§ 385.212 and 385.214, Section 15(a) of the Natural Gas Act (15 U.S.C. § 717n), and moves to intervene as a party to this proceeding. In support thereof, Intervenor shows as follows:
Continue reading Hamilton County, FL moves to intervene with FERC on Sabal Trail →

Southern Company Services intervenes in Sabal Trail at FERC

December 18, 2014Alabama, FERC, Florida, GeorgiaAlabama, FERC, Florida, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, Southern Company Services, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, TranscoJohn S. Quarterman

A subsidiary of Southern Company, parent of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, and Gulf Power (Florida) has filed a motion to intervene in FERC docket CP15-17 for Sabal Trail Transmission’s pipeline:

“SCS is a current customer of Transco, and the operations of Sabal Trail will traverse the Alabama, Florida and Georgia service territories of SCS’s operating affiliates.”

Filed with FERC 17 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141217-5122, Continue reading Southern Company Services intervenes in Sabal Trail at FERC →

One week until the deadline to intervene with FERC about Sabal Trail

December 17, 2014FERC, Lawcomment, deadline, FERC, intervene, Law, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

December 24^th 2014 is the deadline for comments or motions to intervene with FERC about the Sabal Trail pipeline. Here’s how to file a motion to intervene on docket CP15-17.

And here once again is the deadline.

Informally I hear that FERC might accept such things later than the deadline, but that would be pretty much at their discretion, and I’ve seen nothing in writing.

So if you want your views and information to be heard, not only by FERC and Sabal Trail, but also by everybody who is watching docket CP15-17, file before the deadline.

-jsq

New York State to ban fracking

December 17, 2014Fracking, Hazards, Health, Law, New York, Safety, WaterAir, ban, Fracking, Hazards, Health, John S. Quarterman, Law, New York, ordinance, Safety, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Fossil fuels are going down, as the third most populous U.S. state follows the lead of dozens of its local governments and bans fracking. The sun is rising.

Jesse McKinley, New York Times, today 17 December 2014, Cuomo to Ban Fracking in New York State, Citing Health Risks,

The Cuomo administration announced Wednesday that it would ban hydraulic fracturing in New York State, ending years of uncertainty by concluding that the controversial method of extracting gas from deep underground could contaminate the state’s air and water and pose inestimable public-health risks.

“I cannot support high volume hydraulic fracturing in the great state of New York,” said Howard Zucker, the acting commissioner of health.

That conclusion was delivered Continue reading New York State to ban fracking →

Valdosta resolution against Sabal Trail filed with FERC

December 17, 2014Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, Safety, WaterEconomy, Education, environment, FERC, Georgia, John Gayle, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lowndes County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Valdosta, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

The mayor of Valdosta has filed with FERC a resolution against Sabal Trail, in support of the resolution by Lowndes County, the most populous county on any of the proposed pipeline paths in Georgia. In addition to echoing Lowndes County’s concerns about property rights, safety of school children, lack of benefit to the state of Georgia, the availability of a path to completely bypass Georgia, and public opposition, Valdosta also added a WHEREAS about the Floridan Aquifer, the source of almost all of our drinking water in south Georgia and Florida. See also LAKE videos of Valdosta and Lowndes County passing those resolutions.

Filed with FERC today 17 December 2014, Accession Number: 20141217-5076, “Comment of John Gayle in Docket(s)/Project(s) CP15-17-000 Submission Date: 12/17/2014”, Continue reading Valdosta resolution against Sabal Trail filed with FERC →

Thomas County on alternate pipeline route –Thomasville Times

December 17, 2014Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Law, Lowndes CountyAlton Burns, Andrea Grover, BP, British Petroleum, Dougherty County, Economy, environment, FERC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lowndes County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Thomas County, Thomasville TimesJohn S. Quarterman

Sabal Trail’s Andrea Grover tries to put Thomas County back to sleep, but local resident Alton Burns has waked it up.

Patti Dozier, Thomasville Times, 15 December 2014, Thomas County on alternate pipeline route,

Thomas County is not on a proposed natural gas pipeline traversing expanses of Florida, Georgia and Alabama, but it is on two alternate routes.

Thomas County is not on the proposed route submitted by Sabal Trail Transmission to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in late November for consideration of approval.

Thomas County commissioners were not aware of the pipeline until lifelong Thomas County resident Alton Paul Burns addressed the board recently with concerns.

The earth does not belong to us, Burns told commissioners, adding Continue reading Thomas County on alternate pipeline route –Thomasville Times →