Category Archives: Economy

Sabal Trail contractor yards

March 2, 2015Alabama, Economy, Environment, Florida, Georgia, WaterAlabama, contractor yards, Economy, environment, Florida, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

It’s not just the pipeline or the compressor stations: Sabal Trail has filed maps of contractor yards, some of them miles away from the pipeline path, at least one next to an airport (Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia).

Filed with FERC as Accession Number: 20150220-5131, “Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC submits supplemental information on adopted alternatives and information on other reroutes and modifications under CP15-17.”, RR1_Vol-II-A_FIGURE-1.1-2_YARDS.PDF and RR1_Vol-II-A_FIGURE-1.1-3_YARDS.PDF. Continue reading Sabal Trail contractor yards →

FERC tells Sabal Trail to fix 17 pages of errors

March 2, 2015Alabama, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, Law, Safety, WaterAlabama, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, John Peconom, John S. Quarterman, karst, Law, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Santa Fe River, sinkhole, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee River, Water, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

John Peconom of FERC has told Sabal Trail to provide copious detailed information by 27 March 2015, including numerous items about karst limestone, such as:

Utilize publicly available LiDAR data and cave information to further characterize karst areas crossed by the Project facilities.

and

Provide summary assessments of the Direct Pipe, open cut, aerial, and intersect crossing methods as alternatives to the proposed HDD crossings of the Withlacoochee River in Brooks and Lowndes Counties, Georgia and the Suwannee River, Santa Fe River, and Withlacoochee Rivers in Florida. Also, summarize any modified HDD techniques/methods considered at these specific crossings.

Is this just FERC helping one of its funding organizations (FERC is 100% funded by the industries it “regulates”)? Or maybe even FERC is getting tired of Sabal Trail?

Filed with FERC 27 February 2015 as Accession Number: 20150227-3071, “Letter requesting Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC to file within 30 days the Environmental Information Request for the Sabal Trail Project under CP15-17.” Continue reading FERC tells Sabal Trail to fix 17 pages of errors →

Laura Dailey spoke for SpectraBusters at clean water rally in Tallahassee

February 20, 2015Economy, Explosion, Florida, Hazards, Leak, LNG, Solar, WaterEconomy, explosion, Florida, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Laura Dailey, leak, Leon County, LNG, Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, Our Santa Fe River, Sabal Trail Transmission, Santa Fe River, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Thomas Edison, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Floridian’s Clean Water Declaration Campaign, facebook, 18 February 2015,

Laura Dailey of SpectraBusters brought a strong message in favor of solar energy and against the pipeline that’s proposed to cross the springs heartland.

More about Laura Dailey, Director of Community Outreach & Speaker’s Bureau. And a few more of her notes for that speech:

Throughout history, the smart investor has bet his money on the future. Today, colleges and universities, even major corporations are divesting from fossil fuels. Why? Because fossil fuels are the new DINOSAURS, and we already know how that story ends! Even Duke Energy, just last week committed $225 million to the development of Solar energy. Think of the water that can be saved!

Since 2006, the cost of solar panels Continue reading Laura Dailey spoke for SpectraBusters at clean water rally in Tallahassee →

VSU S.A.V.E. protest for fossil fuel divestiture and against Sabal Trail pipeline

February 13, 2015Economy, Georgia, Lowndes CountyAdrianna Taylor, divestment, Economy, Education, fossil fuel, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, SAVE, SpectraBusters, Students Against Violating the Environment, Valdosta State University, VSU, WCTVJohn S. Quarterman

The cookout at Valdosta State made the news, with SpectraBusters.org No Pipeline signs.

Winnie Wright, WCTV, 12 February 2015, VSU Students Protest Against Controversial Pipeline,

Adrianna Taylor of SAVE [Students Against Violating the Environment] says, “We’re uniting all of the global divestment groups from across the world and trying to make a message to the fossil fuel industry and to local governments that we want change. We want you guys to divest from fossil fuels and make the switch to alternative fuels.”

Taylor also says the organization hopes the University will pledge not to invest any more money in fossil fuels.

Resolutions against the Sabal Trail pipeline have already been passed by Lowndes County, Valdosta, and five other counties and one other city (Albany) in Georgia and Florida. VSU divesting its fossil fuels would send another signal.

Also, how about Continue reading VSU S.A.V.E. protest for fossil fuel divestiture and against Sabal Trail pipeline →

Would you buy a used car from Sabal Trail?

February 5, 2015Alabama, Colquitt County, Compressor, Corrosion, Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, Explosion, Florida, Georgia, Hazard, Hazards, History, Leak, SafetyAndrea Grover, Brian Fahrenthold, corrosion, credibility, eminent domain, explosion, Hazards, History, insurance, John S. Quarterman, leak, property values, public record, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Susan WallerJohn S. Quarterman

Why should we accept any risk from a pipeline company that has repeatedly claimed not to be familiar with the public record of its long list of corrosion, leaks, and explosions? A pipeline company that has claimed land values wouldn’t be affected? That it’s “hard to believe” its own law firm sent threats of eminent domain to landowners, despite copies of those letters being sent to newspapers and FERC? That Georgia counties need its gas, after those same counties had already passed resolutions wanting Sabal Trail’s pipeline out of their county and state? A pipeline company that claims the Sunshine State needs its gas when its own figures show half the acreage could produce just as much solar power? Why should anybody in Albama, Georgia, or Florida accept any risk from that company from Houston, Texas?

Sabal Trail claimed theirs is a safe company and leaks and explosions seldom happen, until confronted on-camera with a list of incidents. Continue reading Would you buy a used car from Sabal Trail? →

Spectra stock cut to hold; can CEO Greg Ebel explain 5 Feb 2015?

January 17, 2015British Columbia, Economy, Environment, EPA, Florida, Law, Leak, LNGBritish Columbia, Economy, environment, EPA, Greg Ebel, Hold, John S. Quarterman, Law, leak, LNG, methane, Sabal Trail, Sabal Trail Transmission, SEC, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, stock, Tudor PickeringJohn S. Quarterman

Maybe fossil fuel pipelines aren’t such a lucrative business after all? Funny how this Spectra downgrade comes right after the big announcement about EPA proposed methane rules. Can Spectra Energy CEO Greg Ebel explain this away to investors three weeks from now? How about OPEC driving the price of gas down and energy deals among U.S., China, and Russia tanking the U.S. LNG export market? Ebel’s got some ‘splainin’ to do.

Faye Duncan wrote for Dakota Financial News 16 January 2015, Spectra Energy Corp. Cut to “Hold” at Tudor Pickering, Continue reading Spectra stock cut to hold; can CEO Greg Ebel explain 5 Feb 2015? →

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

January 7, 2015Economy, Explosion, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hazards, Law, Lowndes County, Safety, Solar, Trees, WaterAgriculture, Dexter Sharper, drinking water, Economy, Education, eminent domain, explosion, Florida, Floridan Aquifer, forestry, Form 10-K, FPL, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hazards, insurance, John S. Quarterman, karst, Law, LCDP, limestone, Lowndes County, Lowndes County Democratic Party, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, SEC, solar, SONAT, Southern Natural Gas, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Trees, Valdosta, Water, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

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 →

SpectraBusters moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al.

December 24, 2014Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, History, Law, LNG, Safety, Wateraccountability, Alabama, Beth Gordon, disaster, Economy, Edison, eminent domain, environment, EPA, FERC, Florida, FPL, Gainesville Sun, Georgia, Hazards, History, insurance, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, New Jersey, Safety, soil, SpectraBusters, taxpayer, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

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.

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. →

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 →