All posts by John S. Quarterman

A Listening Session with Congressman Sanford Bishop

April 12, 2014Dougherty County, Georgia, Hazards, Health, Safety, SolarAlbany, Congress, Dougherty County, GA-02, Georgia, Hazards, Health, John S. Quarterman, Safety, Sanford Bishop, solar, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Received yesterday from one of the organizers. -jsq

A Listening Session
with Congressman Sanford Bishop

Thursday, April 17, 2014 at 10:00 AM
Room 100 of the Dougherty County Government Center
222 Pine Avenue
Albany, Georgia
Subject: Sabal Trail Transmission
Gas Pipeline Proposed Project
The session is being held to allow citizens to provide feedback and share concerns with the Congressman on the proposed Sabal Trail Transmission Gas Pipeline Project. This is a very significant concern for a variety of reasons, among them public safety, environmental and economic impact.

Congressman Bishop’s district covers most of the path of the proposed pipeline, making him a key ally in Congress to oppose the pipeline, if he can be convinced to do so. Continue reading A Listening Session with Congressman Sanford Bishop →

Does FERC ever question the honesty and integrity of companies such as Sabal? –Sandra Slack

April 11, 2014Brooks County, Dougherty County, Explosion, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, Lowndes County, Martin CountyBrooks County, Dougherty County, explosion, FERC, Florida, Gainesville, Georgia, Gulfstream, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, Manatee County, Martin County, Ocala, Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Port Dolphin, Port Everglades, Sandra Slack, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Filed with FERC 11 April 2014. -jsq

When this project process first began, Florida newspapers, such as the ones in Martin County, Gainesville, Ocala, and others, ran the story with a map of the proposed pipeline, from FPL, plainly showing the route running from Alabama straight to Florida completely bypassing Georgia. The now “preferred” route runs approximately 156 miles, or more through Georgia. Sabal has not been forthcoming, even in their Resource Report 10, as to the reason for the change. Has there been any encouragement from any governmental entity, State or Federal, for Sabal to reroute this pipeline through the state of Georgia? If yes, which entity and why? If no, why did FERC allow Sabal to change routes? Cost would be an invalid answer.

In August and September of 2013, landowners who previously had not agreed to allow Sabal personnel onto their property began receiving letters first from Sabal and then from the law firm of Hunton & Williams of Atlanta, Ga., on behalf of Sabal, using intimidating and Continue reading Does FERC ever question the honesty and integrity of companies such as Sabal? –Sandra Slack →

Port Dolphin off Tampa already approved by FERC for LNG import

April 11, 2014FERC, Florida, LNGcertificate, export, FDEP, FERC, Florida, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Gas Transmission, FPL, Gulstream Natural Gas, HÃ¶egh LNG AS, import, intervention, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Manatee County, MARAD, NextEra Energy, Norway, Port Dolphin, Port Manatee, Sabal Trail, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Tampa, Transco, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

Offshore deepwater LNG import project Port Dolphin was approved by FERC in 2009, despite interventions by a long list of other pipeline companies, FPL, and other entities. FERC granted Port Dolphin permission to interconnect with Gulfstream and Florida Gas Transmission, the two pipelines FPL requires Sabal Trail to connect to. What if Port Dolphin files to export LNG, as so many other import-permitted projects are doing?

Port Dolphin’s own website doesn’t seem to be responding. The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine has a cached copy from 12 January 2014, with this map:

Manatee Chamber of Commerce lists Port Dolphin’s contact information as: Continue reading Port Dolphin off Tampa already approved by FERC for LNG import →

Alabama Sierra Club against the Sabal Trail methane pipeline

April 10, 2014Alabama, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, Marengo County, Safety, TreesAlabama, Bob Hastings, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, Marengo County, Sabal Trail, Safety, Sierra Club, Southeast Market Pipelines Project, SpectraBusters, Transco, Trees, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

Robert W. Hastings, Alabama Sierra Club contact for the joint Alabama, Georgia, and Florida Sierra Club statement against the pipeline, and author of a FERC ecomment against the pipeline, was elected Chairman of the Alabama Chapter 9 March 2014.

He wrote in the April Alabama Sierran about the Sabal Trail pipeline,

Seems like everyone wants to build a pipeline these days. I’m sure almost everyone has heard about the Keystone XL pipeline, and our Mobile Group has done a good job of publicizing their opposition to the oil pipeline to be constructed through a major water supply area for the city of Mobile. But there are several other pipelines being proposed for Alabama. One of these is the so-called Sabal Trail Pipeline that would carry natural gas extracted through hydraulic fracturing from Pennsylvania and Texas through Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The new pipeline would begin in Alexander City, where it Continue reading Alabama Sierra Club against the Sabal Trail methane pipeline →

Re: AES Ocean Express pipeline from Florida to Bahamas

April 10, 2014Economy, FE, Florida, LNGAES, Bahamas, Broward County, Economy, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, FPL, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, LNG, NextEra Energy, Ocean Express, Port Everglades, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBusters, Transco, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

Yet another LNG export scheme linked with the so-called Southeast Market Pipelines Project, in addition to at least two more. Why should anybody give up their land for export profit for a few companies somewhere else? An undersea pipeline originally for import to Florida, now being promoted for LNG export because of U.S. surplus methane from fracking, already approved by the U.S. a decade ago, only waiting for approval by the Bahamas, which is being pressured by an international bank to do so. It would run from FPL’s Port Everglades “Clean Energy Center” in Broward County, a location linked since it was announced with FPL’s Florida Southeast Connection, which would get its gas from the Sabal Trail and Transco pipelines, starting with fracking in Pennsylvania and Texas.

Candia Dames wrote for dennisdamesonline.net 23 January 2004, AES Corp. Clears Hurdle For LNG Pipeline, Continue reading Re: AES Ocean Express pipeline from Florida to Bahamas →

Maybe no Palm Beach to Bahamas pipeline, there are others

April 7, 2014FERC, Florida, LNGBahama Cay, Bahamas, Broward County, El Paso Corporation, FERC, Florida, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Seafarer, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Maybe no pipeline from Palm Beach to the Bahamas, but that wasn’t the only Bahamas methane pipeline project, and they haven’t all been dropped.

David Fleshler wrote for the Orlando Sun-Sentinel 12 October 2006, Relief As Natural Gas Pipeline Plan Is Dropped, Continue reading Maybe no Palm Beach to Bahamas pipeline, there are others →

JAX-based Crowley authorized to export LNG from Martin County, Florida

April 6, 2014Duval County, FE, FERC, Florida, Law, LNG, Martin CountyCarib Energy, Crowley Maritime, Duval County, FE, FERC, Florida, Florida Southeast Pipelines Project, FPL, Jacksonville, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Martin County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Transco, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

Why didn’t FERC or Sabal Trail or FPL or Williams tell us about LNG export to FTA countries authorized by FE in 2011, before Sabal Trail and the others even submitted their pre-filing applications to FERC?

The Carib Energy that has requested authorization for LNG export to non-FTA countries: we’ve heard of them before. Carib’s parent company Crowley Maritime is based in Jacksonville, FL, and Jaxport is also eyeing LNG export, plus a closer connection.

Remember, Crowley already has authorization from U.S. DoE’s Office of Fossil Energy (FE) to export to Free Trade Agreement countries: Continue reading JAX-based Crowley authorized to export LNG from Martin County, Florida →

Carib-Crowley LNG export from Martin County, FL

April 6, 2014Economy, FE, Florida, LNG, Martin County, Puerto RicoCarib Energy, Crowley Maritime, Economy, export, FE, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, LNG, Martin County, Puerto Rico, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBusters, Transco, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

Another LNG export authorization at the end of the Southeast Market Pipelines Project (Transco -> Sabal Trail -> Florida Southeast Connection) in Martin County, Florida, in addition to the one already approved. Will FPL, Spectra, Williams, and FERC claim to know nothing about this one, too? They sure didn’t tell us anything about it during the Open Houses or Scoping Meetings.

Joe Fisher wrote for NGI 25 October 2013, Continue reading Carib-Crowley LNG export from Martin County, FL →

Spectra and TransCanada competing in LNG export in British Columbia

April 6, 2014British Columbia, Economy, Environment, Frackingaquifer, British Columbia, Canada, EA, Economy, environment, environmental assessment, export, FPL, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, Keystone XL, LNG, methane, National Energy Board, NEB, Pacific, Sabal Trail, Sabal Trail Transmission, Southeast Market Pipelines Project, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Tar Sands, tariff, tax, TransCanada, Transco, Westcoast Connector Gas Transmission Project, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

TransCanada, of the notorious Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, is also competing with Spectra Energy for fracked methane export through an LNG export terminal on the British Columbia coast, and Spectra just got another approval for its “corridor” for not one but two giant pipelines to the Pacific Ocean.

Gordon Jaremko wrote for GPI 4 April 2014, NEB OKs Spectra (Westcoast) Tolls; Major Expansion Planned to Serve Pacific LNG,

Spectra Energy (Westcoast) received approval from the National Energy Board (NEB) for the stable base of its agenda: a 2014-2015 tolls and tariff settlement with customers of its current capacity of 3 Bcf/d.

The deal enables the BC grid to focus on a plan aimed at almost quadrupling its capacity by becoming the principal conduit between northern shale deposits and proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals on the Pacific Coast.

The settlement was not opposed or even questioned Continue reading Spectra and TransCanada competing in LNG export in British Columbia →

Coffee & Conversation in Albany on the proposed Sabal Trail Transmission Line 2014-04-08

April 4, 2014Dougherty County, Georgia, LawDougherty County, Georgia, Greenlaw, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Next Tuesday Greenlaw’s Executive Director Stephanie Stuckey Benfield will speak in Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia, about the proposed methane pipeline.

Coffee & Conversation on the proposed Sabal Trail Transmission Line

Tuesday, April 8
8:00 – 9:00 am

Hilton Garden Inn
Downtown Albany
101 Front Street
Albany, GA 31701
Light Breakfast will be served

GreenLaw Executive Director
Stephanie Stuckey Benfield
will talk about Sabal Trail
and GreenLaw’s involvement

Continue reading Coffee & Conversation in Albany on the proposed Sabal Trail Transmission Line 2014-04-08 →