All posts by John S. Quarterman

Say No to Sabal Trail! –Gulf Restoration Network

Environment, Explosion, FERC, Florida, Hazards, Leak, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

You can join this new ally in telling FERC to say no to that useless, damaging, and dangerous fracked methane Sabal Trail pipeline.

Cathy Harrelson wrote for Gulf Restoration Network 12 June 2014, Say ‘No’ to the Sabal Trail Pipeline,

Florida’s besieged waterways are facing a new threat: Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC, wants to run a natural gas pipeline over, under and through our aquifers, rivers and springsheds. Our waters are already under threat from runoff pollution and over-pumping, and this major pipeline would risk sinkholes, gas leaks and aquifer contamination. Florida’s water is too important to take these risks— but we can say ‘no’ today!

Sabal Trail is seeking Continue reading Say No to Sabal Trail! –Gulf Restoration Network →

Pipeline EIA insufficient without interstate highway option –EPA

Constitution Pipeline, EPA, FE, FERC, Hazards, Law, New York, Pennsylvania, , , , , , , , , , , ,

If FERC needs to consider an interstate highway route for the Constitution Pipeline through Pennsylvania and New York State, it also needs to consider running down I-75 through Georgia and Florida for the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline. Just as numerous state and federal agencies insisted on that in New York and Pennsylvania, state agencies in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida and the same federal agencies can insist on the same for the Transco -> Sabal Trail -> FSC 100-foot-wide gash to the sea.

Joe Mahoney wrote for The Daily Star 17 April 2014, EPA deems pipeline study ‘insufficient’,

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that a draft report on the environmental impacts of the proposed Constitution Pipeline is “insufficient,” and that a potential option of co-locating the transmission line along Interstate 88 “has Continue reading Pipeline EIA insufficient without interstate highway option –EPA →

South Georgia pipeline trials

Georgia, Lee County, Stewart County, , , , , , , , , ,

11AM 10 July 2014, Leesburg, Georgia, according to the Clerk of Court in Lee County: Sabal Trail Transmission v. James E. Bell II and Robert Bell, Case number 14CV208RS. Others tell me the Bells are countersuing Sabal Trail for going on their property despite being told not to. Whatever is decided there will affect every other pipeline land access case. This is an opportunity for pipeline opponents from everywhere to help: show up at the hearing, write a letter of support for the Bells, maybe even file a legal brief, or demonstrate nearby.

There was another case Continue reading South Georgia pipeline trials →

Pipelines bust mortgages

Economy, Fracking, , , , , , ,

Mortgage effects of fracking and methane pipelines have been a concern for more than two years now. Do you want a fracked methane pipeline through your property that you might want to mortgage someday or already have a mortgage on?

Ian Urbina wrote for the New York times 19 October 2011, Rush to Drill for Natural Gas Creates Conflicts With Mortgages,

Mr. May said the issue was causing “a high level of concern for prudent banks and lenders.” He and other bankers have also questioned how the growing grid of buried pipelines that carry natural gas from wells to consumers will comply with mortgage rules. A separate report from the Congressional Research Service, the research arm of Congress, said signing a drilling lease without prior approval on a property with a mortgage owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac “generally will be considered an act of default under the mortgage.”

That could give either of the federally run companies the right to demand immediate payment of the full loan and even foreclose on the property if the owner cannot pay, the report said.

-jsq

LNG exports worse than coal –U.S DoE

Environment, FE, Law, Leak, LNG, Solar, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The same Office of Fossil Energy (FE) that authorizes LNG exports now reports that methane leaks from fracking wells and pipelines are at least as bad for the climate as CO2 from coal. Add to that the destruction of private property rights, wetlands and forests, and overuse and contamination of groundwater, and fracked methane is a disaster. Plus it diverts resources that could be used to go straight to solar and wind power.

Steven Mufson wrote for the Washington Post 9 June 2014, Exporting U.S. natural gas isn’t as “clean” as you think,

The report is titled “Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas from the United States.”

It says the benefits of cleaner, more efficient combustion of natural gas are largely offset by methane leakage in U.S. production and pipelines and by methane leaks and energy used in the process of liquefying and transporting the LNG. In the case of shipping LNG from the U.S. gulf coast to Shanghai, the greenhouse gas benefits could in some cases be completely offset by those factors when measured over a 20-year period, the report says.

The Energy Department report was released Continue reading LNG exports worse than coal –U.S DoE →

Sabal Trail and FSC want FERC to avoid considering fracking

Environment, FERC, FL PSC, Fracking, Law, Solar, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Of course FPL and Spectra don’t want FERC to look at fracking, but nothing in FERC’s own rules says it can’t, and a recent court case might be a precedent to get it to do so. Maybe Audubon Florida is discovering trying to tinker with pipeline routes is like signing up for the 1885 Berlin Conference that divided Africa by drawing lines on a map. Sierra Club Florida, Georgia, and Alabama already understand the only appropriate route for that fracked methane boondoggle is no route, with new power from the sun.

I’ve added a few links to these quotes from what Susan Salisbury wrote for the Palm Beach Post 5 May 2014, Fracking not an issue with pipeline for FPL’s plants, firms say, Continue reading Sabal Trail and FSC want FERC to avoid considering fracking →

FERC has to consider cumulative pipeline effects

Alabama, Environment, FERC, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Law, LNG, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Solar, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Would this U.S. Court of Appeals ruling mean FERC needs to consider the cumulative effects of the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline on the same properties as the existing SONAT pipeline? And what about those LNG export authorizations FERC has repeatedly claimed it knows nothing about? And how can FERC justify that project at all, given that solar power is faster, cheaper, and far less environmentally damaging?

Katie Colaneri wrote for NPR 6 June 2014, Court rules federal regulators must consider cumulative impacts of pipeline project,

Regulators violated federal law by not considering the cumulative environmental impacts of multiple upgrades to a natural gas pipeline that runs from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, a federal appeals court said on Friday.

Three environmental groups argued the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) should not have been allowed to conduct an environmental review for one expansion project on the Tennessee Gas Pipeline without considering three other proposed upgrades on the same line.

The U.S. Court of Appeals agreed.

The judges ruled that FERC failed “to include any meaningful analysis of the cumulative impacts of the upgrade projects.” The judges also found Continue reading FERC has to consider cumulative pipeline effects →

It seems that they just draw lines at random –James Ryder via Sen. Marco Rubio

Brooks County, Economy, Environment, Ethics, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, Trees, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Florida’s other Senator just intervened with FERC on behalf of a landowner who has been trying to get reasonable solutions out of Spectra Energy since at least December. Sabal Trail is trying to force their unnecessary pipeline through this Brooks County, Georgia property among others that already have a gas pipeline: this one also already has an FPL power line. Why should FPL get to deface anybody’s property for both a power line and a pipeline while destroying wetlands and trees? Why do we think this will be the last pipeline if it is allowed to go in? As the Ryders ask, “If this was your farm, how would you like it divided?” How about not at all?

Filed with FERC 6 June 2014 as Senator Marco Rubio submits comments re the Southeast Market Pipelines Project under PF14-1. Florida Senator Bill Nelson intervened on behalf of Amelia Longley back on 1 November 2013.

Cover letter Continue reading It seems that they just draw lines at random –James Ryder via Sen. Marco Rubio →

Fracked gas can be as bad for the climate as coal –FWW petition to EPA

Fracking, Hazards, Law, , , , , , , , , , ,

Food and Water Watch gets it that coal is only part of the fossil fuel problem:

Under the proposal, power plants, mainly coal-fired plants, would have to reduce their carbon emissions. One way the electricity companies would be allowed to do this is by switching from coal-fired plants to gas-fired plants. The EPA still considers gas a cleaner fuel than coal, because they don’t count the full life of fracked gas. But we know that fracked gas can be as bad for the climate as coal.

Here’s the FWW petition: Continue reading Fracked gas can be as bad for the climate as coal –FWW petition to EPA →

Duke Energy doesn’t need Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline

Citrus County, Economy, FL PSC, Florida, , , , , , , , , ,

Even Duke Energy thinks the Sabal Trail pipeline is not necessary.

Pat Faherty wrote 30 May 2014 for the Citrus County Chronicle, Natural-gas plant not tied to pipeline completion (I added the images and links),

Construction of Duke Energy’s $1.5 billion power plant in Citrus County is not dependent on completion of the controversial Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline.

Duke filed a petition Tuesday with the Florida Public Service Commission for an affirmative determination of need for its Citrus County combined-cycle power plant.

That’s the same 27 May 2014 filing that was supposed to show Sabal Trail fueling Duke’s plant, but Continue reading Duke Energy doesn’t need Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline →