Category Archives: FERC

Sabal Trail will be expected to adhere and honor all Lowndes County Ordinances –Bill E Slaughter, JR to FERC

April 12, 2014Agriculture, Colquitt County, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Health, Law, Lowndes County, Trees, WaterAgriculture, Bill Slaughter, Colquitt County, environment, FERC, Georgia, Health, John Alderman, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lowndes County, road, SpectraBusters, Trees, USACE, Water, wetlandJohn S. Quarterman

Filed with FERC 11 April 2014. These are apparently the items he referred to Saturday 29 March 2014 at the SpectraBusters panel at VSU. There’s much more that can be done but this is a good step forward. -jsq

Bill E Slaughter, JR, Hahira, GA.
April 10, 2014

To whom it may concern:

If the route for the proposed Sabal Trail Pipeline comes through any part of Lowndes County as Chairman of the Lowndes County Commission and on the behalf of the Commission and Citizens of Lowndes County I would like to address several concerns we have with the Sabal Trail Pipeline Docket # P14-1-000.

All road crossings must obtain a Lowndes County R/W Encroachment Permit for each crossing which will include all information required by the Lowndes County Engineer.
All road crossings shall be perpendicular to the R/W.
All road crossings shall be Continue reading Sabal Trail will be expected to adhere and honor all Lowndes County Ordinances –Bill E Slaughter, JR to FERC →

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 →

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 →

Sabal Trail submits alignment drawings to FERC

April 4, 2014Alabama, FERC, Florida, GeorgiaAlabama, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Jessica Harris, John Peconom, maps, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Not much change in routes, according to most observers so far, in the maps Sabal Trail Transmission LLC filed with FERC 2 April 2014.

Lisa A. Connolly’s cover letter for Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC by Sabal Trail Management, LLC, Its Operator (notice the two levels of shell companies) to Ms. Kimberley D. Bose, Secretary, FERC says: Continue reading Sabal Trail submits alignment drawings to FERC →

Floridian LNG Export approved last November, before Sabal Trail Open Houses or FERC Scoping Meetings

April 1, 2014Alabama, Colquitt County, Economy, FE, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Law, LNG, Lowndes County, Martin CountyAES, Alabama, Economy, export, FERC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, FSC, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, Juno Beach, Law, LNG, Lowndes County, Martin County, Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Transco, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

On 14 November 2013 the U.S. DoE’s Office of Fossil Energy approved LNG export authority for a company located next to the end of the Transco-Sabal Trail-FSC pipeline in Martin County, Florida, right where FPL is already building another pipeline to the sea. All the time since then Spectra and FERC have been saying the Sabal Trail pipeline is not for export. FERC’s whole rationale for federal eminent domain for this pipeline is that Florida needs the power. If the methane is really for export, what excuse is there for federal eminent domain?

The order’s cover page says:

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

OFFICE OF FOSSIL ENERGY

ADVANCED ENERGY SOLUTIONS. LLC ) FE DOCKET NO. I3~104-LNG

ORDER GRANTING LONG-TERM MULTI-CONTRACT
AUTHORIZATION TO EXPORT LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
IN ISO CONTAINERS LOADED AT THE
FLORIDIAN FACILITY IN MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA,
AND EXPORTED VIA OCEAN-GOING VESSEL
TO FREE TRADE AGREEMENT NATIONS
IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

DOE/FE ORDER NO. 3360

NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Friday 15 November 2013, the next day after that LNG authorization, Continue reading Floridian LNG Export approved last November, before Sabal Trail Open Houses or FERC Scoping Meetings →

FERC gets an earful in Florida

March 27, 2014Environment, FERC, Florida, Hazards, Law, Marion County, Safetyenvironment, FERC, Florida, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG export, Marion County, Safety, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

FERC’s John Peconom admitted FERC staff had never recommended denying a pipeline permit, and again admitted that the Commission had only ever denied two. He got an earful from local citizens in Marion County, Florida last night. The last FERC Scoping Meeting is tonight at the Citrus Tower in Clermont, Lake County, Florida.

Bill Thompson wrote for the Ocala StarBanner yesterday, Regulators get an earful over planned gas pipeline,

DUNNELLON — The last time an energy company installed its lines across Frank Atkins’ family’s property, grave markers in a family-owned cemetery were displaced.

The 85-year-old said that after Florida Power Corp. came through in the 1960s, he could not find the burial plot holding his mother, who died giving birth to him.

Now that a natural gas pipeline is slated to pass through his Citrus County land, Atkins said he’s concerned the one-acre cemetery, where more family members are buried, Continue reading FERC gets an earful in Florida →

No Pipeline in our Aquifer in north Florida and south Georgia

March 23, 2014FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Lake County, Lowndes County, Marion County, Suwannee County, Wateraquifer, FERC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, Floridan Aquifer, Georgia, Gilchrist County, John S. Quarterman, Lake County, Lowndes County, Marion County, PF14-1, PF14-2, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, Valdosta State University, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

PDF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Valdosta, 23 March 2014 — All of south Georgia and north Florida drinks out of the Floridan Aquifer, where the FERC Scoping meetings and a SpectraBusters community panel meet this week about Sabal Trail’s attempt to take our lands to gouge a 100-foot right of way for a 36-inch methane pipeline through our fragile karst limestone, risking turning our springs into sinkholes.

Continue reading →