“I am concerned after studying, talking to individuals and the
environmental and economic impact that I am opposed to the
alternative route.”
Dated 10 November 2014, filed by FERC 18 November 2014 as Accession Number: 20141118-0021, Continue reading I am opposed to Sabal Trail’s Alternative –GA Rep. Gerald Greene to FERC
Here are a few things you get with a pipeline easement:
no right to grow trees on it, limited right to put up fences,
and if you do, you have to have gates in them that the pipeline
company can put their own lock on.
But you do get to continue to pay taxes on land you can no longer
fully use; land that now contains a potentially corrosive, leaky,
explosive hazard that you can’t tap for your own use.
And you do get pipeline company contractors coming through at their
convenience to mow or otherwise clear the right of way.
Contractors who may be somewhat unclear on where the right of way
ends and your trees, for example, start.
Without ever having to notify you then or tell you later what happened.
And it’s even worse than that: you may get another pipeline, and meanwhile the pipeline company will claim rights over local governments and developments.
All while the world has changed and the sun has risen on a better way.
Produce the agreements that allegedly justify need:
Again, if SST is going to rely on precedent agreements to justify taking people’s private property by eminent domain, it should at least be required to produce the agreements.
And this:
Based on all of the above. it does not require much of a leap to assume that SST is planning to take people’s private property for private profit by enabling one of its parent owners.
Filed with FERC 14 November 2014, Comment of Gloria Gaines under PF14-1, submitted on behalf of State Representative Winfred Dukes. Continue reading Find that Sabal Trail has not met its burden to show the pipeline is needed –Winfred Dukes
Agritourism, economy, and environment were among the reasons
Terrell County followed
Dougherty County
and passed a resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline.
FERC didn’t post the County Chairman’s cover letter, but the County Clerk sent it to me.
What else has FERC neglected to post?
Filed with FERC 13 November 2014, Protest of Terrell County Board of Commissioners (Georgia) under PF14-1.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas has proposed building a $3.7 Billion, 460-mile gas pipeline from Central Alabama to Central Florida known as the Sabal Trail, and:
WHEREAS, a growing contingency of local and area residents have expressed opposition to construction of the pipeline and compressor stations used to force the natural gas through the pipelines, and:
WHEREAS, The construction of the pipeline through Terrell County, Georgia will severely impact agricultural and agiitourism businesses located in the county, and:
WHEREAS, it is clear to this board that the Sabal Trail will not Continue reading Agriculture over pipeline: Terrell County resolution against Sabal Trail
Don’t believe FERC is funded by the industries it regulates? Well, let’s look beyond FERC’s own About web page to its actual funding request to Congress. Maybe that will motivate you to ecomment to FERC right now, and to contact your local, state, and national elected and appointed officials.
Acting Chairman Cheryl A. LaFleur, FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, FY 2015 Congressional Performance Budget Request,
Full Cost Recovery
The Commission recovers the full cost of its operations through annual charges and filing fees assessed on the industries it regulates as authorized by the Federal Power Act (FPA) and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986. The Commission deposits this revenue into the Treasury as a direct offset to its appropriation, resulting in no net appropriation.
Clear enough that FERC is 100% funded by the industries it regulates?
That may seem like a win for the taxpayers.
But is it a win for you the local landowners Continue reading FERC recovers cost of operations through charges and fees from the industries it regulates –FERC FY14 Budget
“Our lands, our final say. No pipeline.” –Freda Huson, Unist’ot’en spokeperson to Enbridge.
They’re in Canada and they never ceded their pre-existing rights to their clan territory. But we’re in the U.S. and we never ceded our rights in fee simple to our own land, water, and air, nor did we approve our taxes going to clean up any sinkholes, leaks, or explosions. I can’t necessarily endorse all their tactics, but I can say beaver is tasty and I’ve found seizing equipment that is illegally trespassing to be useful in the past.
AJ+, YouTube, 5 November 2014, How To Stop An Oil And Gas Pipeline: The Unist’ot’en Camp Resistance,
Over the past four years, Continue reading We’ve had enough of these spoiled pipeline brats stealing off of our lands. –Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en nation
At the Alabama Sierra Club Retreat this weekend at Lakepoint State Park
near Eufaula, I’ll be speaking and doing Q&A for an hour:
10AM Saturday 1 November 2014.
If you’re anywhere near Eufaula, Alabama this weekend,
I highly recommend coming to this retreat: it’s got lots
of great talks and activities.
What do you important points do you think I should mention? What graphics can you send me to include in the slides? No rush: leaving Friday morning, so if you could get me your materials by tomorrow (Thursday), that would be great.
FYI, I will be talking about at least Continue reading Alabama Sierra Club Retreat talk against Sabal Trail
Sabal Trail has not met its burden of proof of need, and its pipeline would be hazardous to environment and safety, resolved the Dougherty County Commission Monday. And now news media call it the “the pipeline fight” and the “controversial pipeline”. Visitors to Albany tell me people now bring up the pipeline unprompted in conversation. Last week’s very bad media week for Sabal Trail continues to get worse this week.
Franklin White, WFXL, 27 October 2014, Another step in the pipeline fight,
Continue reading Dougherty County passed a resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline
Officials say in the past year they’ve written four letters to Sabal Trails on behalf of Dougherty County citizens and businesses.
They say after the September meeting when Sabal Trail officials came to Dougherty County to explain why they chose SWGA to build the pipeline, County Commissioners found pipeline would do more harm than good.
Dougherty County Attorney Spencer Lee says, “they found there is no need for it and it’s likely to harm the environment and our socio-economic and culture activities.”
Second day in a row,
the Albany Herald covered
the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline making the Georgia
Water Coalition Dirty Dozen list.
The Flint River would be affected just like the Withlacoochee River,
and in Florida the Suwannee River and the Santa Fe River are in the same
karst limestone that contains our drinking water in south Georgia and
Florida in the Floridan Aquifer.
These newspaper articles follow two previous Albany ones, a couple of
Valdosta ones, and local, state, and national TV and newspaper coverage
of protests and opposition to Spectra’s hazardous boondoggle.
Sabal Trail’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad PR week continues….
Jennifer Parks, Albany Herald, 22 October 2014, Proposed gas pipeline, Flint make Dirty Dozen list: Textile manufacturer pollution, state water policy issues cited as problems for Flint River, Continue reading Sabal Trail on Dirty Dozen and Flint River
Sabal Trail has backed off its end-of-October FERC filing target, now saying “sometime later this year”. Opposition is having some effects!
Robert Hudson wrote for alexcityOutlook.com 1 October 2014, in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, where Sabal Trail proposes to start its hundred-foot gouge through three states, Company preparing to submit natural gas pipeline application to FERC, Continue reading Sabal Trail delays formal FERC filing until “sometime later this year”