Category Archives: Alabama

SpectraBusters, Inc. board: all three states along Sabal Trail Pipeline

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, , , , , , , ,

Update 15 February 2014: Now six board members; see Board page.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PDF

Valdosta, January 16, 2014 —

SpectraBusters, Inc. has incorporated in Georgia with board members from all three states on the path of the proposed Sabal Trail Transmission methane pipeline: Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

The five SpectraBusters board members include directly affected landowners and members of a wide range of groups affected by the pipeline:

Beth Gordon, President, doesn’t want a 36-inch pipeline through her horse farm in Levy County, Florida, where she practices law with The Gordon Law Firm. She filed a legal protest with the Florida Public Service Commission against the pipeline and spoke against it at the Levy County Commission, noting this pipeline is much bigger than previous pipelines or those that blew up recently in Oklahoma or Texas, plus the company behind this pipeline has a long list of fines for PCB pollution by EPA and for property damage, leaks, and negligence by PHMSA.

Larry Rodgers, Treasurer, Continue reading SpectraBusters, Inc. board: all three states along Sabal Trail Pipeline →

State pipeline safety regulations –NARUC

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, , , , , , , , , ,

Did you know New York does not allow pipeline operators to downgrade any leaks while the federal government does not grade leaks at all? Washington state requires responses within 15 minutes for detection thresholds of 8% leak for full flow and no flow conditions applicable to hazardous liquid operators, while the federal government has only begun early discussions of this? That Kansas requires quality assurance inspection of all outside contractors, while federal regulations require only periodic workshops on quality assurance? Idaho requires NFPA 54 compliance before an operator is permitted to distribute gas, while the federal government does not? Illinois requires a full training program for operators, not just the minimum Operator Qualifications required by the federal government? All this and more from a recent report.

PR from the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners 23 September 2013, Updated Compendium Details State Actions on Pipeline Safety, Continue reading State pipeline safety regulations –NARUC →

Local governments can restrict pipelines –Penn. Supreme Court

Alabama, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, Pennsylvania, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Alabama, Georgia, and Florida probably don’t even have a restrictive law like the Pennsylvania Supreme Court just struck down, so local governments in the states along the proposed Sabal Trail, Florida Southeast Connection, and Transco Hillabee Expansion Project pipelines apparently can pass restrictions on pipelines. As can state legislatures.

Mark Scolforo and Marc Levy wrote for Associated Press 20 December 2013, Pa. Gas Drilling Decision Leaves Future Uncertain,

The energy industry and policy makers in Pennsylvania, the heart of the nation’s gas drilling boom, are thinking about their next moves after the state’s highest court threw out significant portions of a law that limited the power of cities and counties to regulate the industry.

The state Supreme Court voted 4-2 on Thursday to strike down portions of a 2012 law that had been crafted by Gov. Tom Corbett and his industry-friendly allies in the Legislature.

The article talks about corporate “need”: Continue reading Local governments can restrict pipelines –Penn. Supreme Court →

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and LNG exports

Alabama, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hamilton County, Jackson County, Levy County, Madison County, Madison County, Marion County, Renaissance Project, Texas, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The same U.S. House subcommittee that wants to export liquid natural gas is pushing the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The two subcommittee members are from Alabama and Florida represent counties in the paths of two Spectra methane pipelines.

Ted Poe (R TX-02) of Houston, Chairman of the SUBCOMMITTEE ON TERRORISM, NONPROLIFERATION, AND TRADE of the COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES spelled out the connection to natural gas in the panel discussion for the hearing on The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Outlook and Opportunities,

Hopefully, we will change that and become an exporter, especially of natural gas.

This meshes with his remark hearing on natural gas exports:

The Department of Energy has not approved an application to export to a country we don’t have a Free Trade Agreement with in 2 years.

Presumably he meant FERC, which bills itself as an independent agency. The point remains the same: Chairman Poe wants more free trade agreements for more LNG exports. In his opening statement to the TPP hearing he spelled out that he considers the Trans-Pacific Partnership to be a free trade agreement: Continue reading The Trans-Pacific Partnership and LNG exports →

Sabal Trail is failing to inform the public –Sandra Jones to FERC

Alabama, Colquitt County, FERC, Florida, Georgia, , , , , , , , , ,

Filed with FERC 26 November 2013:

Sandra Jones, Moultrie, GA.

Sabal Trails has planned the next open house meetings in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida concerning their proposed 36 inch pipeline during the very busy month of December.

In fact, the one planned for Colquitt County is to be held December 12th at 5 pm. This is the same time the traditional Christmas parade is to take place downtown Moultrie.

I am asking FERC to require Sabal Trails to reschedule this meeting and place an ad in the local newspaper to inform the public. Most of the citizens in Colquitt county are not aware of this project. Sabal Trails is failing to neet FERC’s requirements of informing the public of this very dangeruos pipeline.

How to comment with FERC.

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Respect the rights of citizens and landowners –Danielle Jordan to FERC

Alabama, FERC, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, Health, Lowndes County, Safety, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Filed with FERC 24 November 2013:

Danielle Jordan, Valdosta, GA.

The proposal to build a natural gas pipeline by Sabal Trail/Spectra Energy is unnecessary and, undoubtedly, not in the best interest of the citizens living along its path. Not only will the construction of this pipeline create safety issues and devalue the property of affected landowners, it also serves as an extension of the fracking industry responsible for contaminated groundwater in drilling areas. The externalized costs of the natural gas industry are far too detrimental to public health for this to be considered when the potential for solar power in our region remains largely untapped.

Furthermore, natural gas has been marketed as Continue reading Respect the rights of citizens and landowners –Danielle Jordan to FERC →

Williams Transco Hillabee Expansion Project PF14-6 to connect to Sabal Trail

Alabama, FERC, Texas, , , , , , , , , , ,

The third link: Sabal Trail plans to get its gas from Williams Transco’s Hillabee Expansion Project in Alabama, FERC Docket #PF14-6.

Here’s an excerpt from the Cover letter, Request for Pre-Filing Review, 4 November 2013.

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC
2800 Post Oak Boulevard (77056)
P.O. Box 1396
Houston, Texas 77251-1396
713/215-2000

November 4, 2013

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20426

Attention:Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary
Reference:Request for Pre-Filing Review
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC
Hillabee Expansion Project
Docket No. PF14-

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC (“Transco”) respectfully requests that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“Commission”) Staff initiate a pre-filing review of Transco’s proposed Hillabee Expansion Project (sometimes referred to herein as the “Project”). The Project is an expansion of Transco’s existing natural gas transmission system in Alabama that will enable Transco to provide an approximate 1,131,730 dekatherms per day (“dt/day”) of incremental transportation capacity to be constructed in three phases. The capacity created by the Project will be leased to Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC (“Sabal Trail”). The initial phase of the Hillabee Expansion Project is targeted to be placed in service May 1, 2017.

Project Overview: Continue reading Williams Transco Hillabee Expansion Project PF14-6 to connect to Sabal Trail →

New Brunswick natives win against fracking company

Alabama, Canada, Florida, Georgia, New Brunswick, Texas, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It sure looks like all Cowboys and Indians as far as fossil fuel companies are concerned, and the only Cowboys are the fossil fuel executives and investors. First Nations just won a temporary victory in New Brunswick, Canada against fracking company SWN, a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwestern Energy of Houston, Texas. Landowners and other pipeline opponents in the U.S. southeast maybe can stop a methane pipeline that could well connect all the way up to those same contested shale fields in New Brunswick.

APTN national news wrote yesterday, SWN ending exploration work in NB, will be back in 2015: Elsipogtog War Chief Levi,

ELSIPGOTG FIRST NATION, NB—A Houston-based energy company that has faced ferocious resistance from a Mi’kmaq-led coalition is ending its shale gas exploration work for the year, says Elsipogtog War Chief John Levi.

Levi said Friday that the RCMP informed him that SWN Resources Canada is ending its exploration work, but will return in 2015.

SWN is not Spectra Energy. SWN fracks for gas; Spectra mostly transports it in pipelines. But look at Spectra’s own map, Our Portfolio of Assets: Continue reading New Brunswick natives win against fracking company →

Georgia Hillabee (Tift County, Cook County, and Valdosta) route by Sabal Trail

Alabama, Chattachoochee County, Colquitt County, Cook County, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Harris County, Lee County, Lowndes County, Marion County, Muscogee County, Russell County, Schley County, Sumter County, Talbot County, Tift County, Turner County, Worth County, , , , , , , , ,

Watch out, Valdosta and Tifton! The Hillabee Georgia alternative route avoids Albany and Russell County, Alabama, by starting in Harris County, Georgia, passing through Muscogee, Talbot, Chattachoochee, Marion, Schley, Sumter, Lee, Worth, Turner, Tift, Cook, and Lowndes Counties before entering Florida in Hamilton County much like Spectra’s preferred route. This is the rest of the Option B that was first proposed to Lowndes County residents back in June.

Hillabee (Valdosta and Tift County) Route Alternative, Georgia

Extracted from Sabal Trail’s one big PDF document, here is PDF and JPG of the Hillabee Georgia alternative route map.

Hillabee (Valdosta and Tift County) Route Alternative, Georgia
Hillabee (Valdosta and Tift County) Route Alternative, Georgia, in Alternatives, by Sabal Trail Transmission, for FERC Docket No. PF14-1-000, 15 November 2013, converted by SpectraBusters
SABAL TRAIL PROJECT, DRAFT RESOURCE REPORT 10, Alternatives, FERC Docket No. PF14-1-000, Initial Pre-Filing Draft, November 2013
http://spectrabusters.org/ferc/pf14-1-sabal-trail-transmission/update-2013-11-15/draft-resource-report-10-alternatives/

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Florida Panhandle route by Sabal Trail to FERC last Friday

Alabama, Choctaw County, Clarke County, Coffee County, Conecuh County, Covington County, Dale County, FERC, Florida, Gadsden County, Geneva County, Georgia, Houston County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Monroe County, , , , , , , , ,

The Florida Panhandle alternative route appears to cross several Georgia rivers by hugging the Georgia-Florida line to avoid the Apalachicola National Forest and the Lake Talquin State Forest in Florida. This looks like the route published in Florida newspapers back in June. It adds Choctaw, Clarke, Monroe, Conecuh, Covington, Coffee, Dale, Geneva, and Houston Counties in Alabama, and Jackson, Gadsden and Jefferson Counties in Florida.

Station 85 Panhandle Alternative, Florida

Extracted from Sabal Trail’s one big PDF document, here is PDF and JPG of the Florida panhandle alternative route map.

Station 85 Panhandle Alternative, Florida
Station 85 Panhandle Alternative, Florida, in Alternatives, by Sabal Trail Transmission, for FERC Docket No. PF14-1-000, 15 November 2013, converted by SpectraBusters
SABAL TRAIL PROJECT, DRAFT RESOURCE REPORT 10, Alternatives, FERC Docket No. PF14-1-000, Initial Pre-Filing Draft, November 2013
http://spectrabusters.org/ferc/pf14-1-sabal-trail-transmission/update-2013-11-15/draft-resource-report-10-alternatives/

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