Category Archives: Fracking

Fracked gas can be as bad for the climate as coal –FWW petition to EPA

June 6, 2014Fracking, Hazards, LawFood and Water Watch, FPL, Fracking, Hazards, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, Law, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Transco, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

Food and Water Watch gets it that coal is only part of the fossil fuel problem:

Under the proposal, power plants, mainly coal-fired plants, would have to reduce their carbon emissions. One way the electricity companies would be allowed to do this is by switching from coal-fired plants to gas-fired plants. The EPA still considers gas a cleaner fuel than coal, because they don’t count the full life of fracked gas. But we know that fracked gas can be as bad for the climate as coal.

Here’s the FWW petition: Continue reading Fracked gas can be as bad for the climate as coal –FWW petition to EPA →

Build FPL’s natural gas pipeline or not? –Palm Beach Post

June 2, 2014Economy, Environment, Florida, Fracking, Hazards, LNG, Martin Countycoal, Economy, environment, Eric Silagy, export, Florida, FPL, Fracking, Hazards, indirect, induced, jobs, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Martin County, NextEra Energy, oil, Palm Beach County, Palm Beach Post, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, T. Boone Pickens, windJohn S. Quarterman

FPL’s hometown newspaper never mentions solar or wind in an opinion piece asking whether you think the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline is a good idea. You can comment directly in the newspaper. Maybe you’d like to send your comments to FERC, as well.

Palm Beach Post Opinion Staff wrote yesterday, Should FPL’s natural gas pipeline be built?

NextEra Energy, parent of Florida Power & Light, is contracting with Spectra Energy to run a natural gas pipleine 591 miles through the heart of the state, ending in Martin County.

FPL President Eric Silagy says the company needs the additional pipeline to provide redundancy and added capacity to the state’s existing natural gas pipleines. FPL is now the nation’s largest consumer of natural gas, he says.

It’s curious how FPL’s own projections in its 10-year plan don’t support Continue reading Build FPL’s natural gas pipeline or not? –Palm Beach Post →

The Halliburton fracking Loophole and LNG exports

June 1, 2014Economy, Environment, FE, FERC, Fracking, Law, LNGClean Water Cat, Climate Change, coal, CWA, Economy, Ed Markey, EIA, Energy Policy Act, environment, EPA2005, export, FE, FERC, Fracking, Halliburton Loophole, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, NEPA, nuclear, RCRA, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, review, Safe Drinking Water Act, SDWA, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

So FE proposes to follow the law, NEPA, specifically. How about we also repeal the Halliburton Loophole in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPA2005) that enables fracking and LNG exports?

The Office of Fossil Energy (FE)’s parent U.S. Department of Energy (DoE)’s writeup on EPA2005 doesn’t mention its fracking effects or liquid natural gas (LNG) storage or export. FERC’s writeup spells out that EPA2005 not just enabled but required LNG export:

Mandatory within 60 days after date of enactment
Continue reading The Halliburton fracking Loophole and LNG exports →

LNG export to Europe with the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)?

May 23, 2014Economy, Florida, Fracking, Law, LNGEconomy, Europe, export, FPL, Fracking, Free Trade, Hungary, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Poland, Romania, Sabal Trail Transmission, Slovakia, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, TAFTA, Transatlantic Free Trade Area, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP, Ukraine, VietnamJohn S. Quarterman

More “free trade” LNG export destinations from Florida will open up if the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) passes, to the 28 EU member countries:

Many of those countries currently get fracked gas from Russia:

Continue reading →

Ohio town fracked by well leak

May 11, 2014Environment, Ethics, Fracking, Law, Morgan County, Ohio, Safety, WaterBeverly, Center for Health, CHEJ, clear and present danger, Colorado, drilling, environment, Environment & Justice, Ethics, fix, fossil fuel, Fracking, GA DNR, Jack Shaner, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lois Gibbs, Mark Bruce, methane, Morgan County, mud, needle, ODNR, Ohio, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Environmental Council, oil, PDC Energy, Petroleum Development Corporation, property rights, regulations, rules, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Superfund, Teresa Mills, Water, wellJohn S. Quarterman

A fossil fuel needle desperately trying to get another fix hit an artery and leaked oily mud and methane into a creek near Beverly, Ohio, forcing evacuation of people nearby. Once again, state agencies had to deal with a problem caused by a private company. This collateral damage drew in yet another fracking opponent, this time one founded by an opponent of the first Superfund.

Dean Narciso wrote for the Columbus Dispatch 8 May 2014, Shale well leaks during drilling process, forcing evacuations in Morgan County,

A Morgan County shale well being drilled in preparation for fracking began leaking on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents.

State and federal environmental emergency-response teams and the drilling company finally contained the mess yesterday, but not before it reached a nearby creek.

The leak was discovered Continue reading Ohio town fracked by well leak →

Food and Water Watch against LNG exports

May 10, 2014Climate Change, Economy, Fracking, Hazards, Health, LNG, SafetyClimate Change, Economy, Energy and Commerce, Energy and Power, Food and Water Watch, Fracking, Government, H.R. 6, Hazards, Health, House of Representatives, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Safety, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

FWW has been on the case against H.R. 6 that would authorize LNG exports to all WTO member countries since that bill passed the subcommittee in early April, before it passed the main committee April 30th.

Food & Water Watch press release 9 April 2014, House Subcommittee’s Approval of LNG Exports Means More Money for Big Oil and Gas, More Fracking In U.S. Communities: Statement of Food & Water Watch Executive Director, Wenonah Hauter,

Washington, D.C. — “On Wednesday, the U.S. House’s Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and Power voted in favor of a bill to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) abroad under the guise of aiding Ukraine. But this bill, H.R.6, would only serve to increase profits for the oil and gas industry, greatly accelerating fracking here at home, endangering American communities, public health and the climate. We strongly recommend that both houses of Congress reject any and all plans to export LNG overseas.

“Selling LNG abroad will drive up the industry’s profit margins, ultimately increasing gas prices here in the U.S.. Ramping up fracking in the U.S., Continue reading Food and Water Watch against LNG exports →

Bluegrass fracked methane pipeline cancelled

May 1, 2014Economy, Fracking, Georgia, Kentucky, Law, LNG, Lowndes Countyanalysts, Bluegrass Pipeline, carbon bubble, death spiral, downgrade, Economy, export, Florida Southeast Connection, FPL, Fracking, Georgia, Gulf of Mexico, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, Kentucky, Law, LNG, Lowndes County, Marcellus Shale, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBusters, Transco, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

Williams Co.’s excuse: “an insufficient level of firm customer commitment” for its Marcellus shale to Gulf of Mexico gas pipe. That’s corporate-ese for it got to be too expensive; it’s the same thing a company that wanted to put a biomass plant in Lowndes County said. Couldn’t have had anything to do with massive public resistance, oh no. This is the same Williams Co. that owns Transco, first in the chain of the Transco -> Sabal Trail -> Florida Southeast Connection pipeline through Alabama and Georgia to Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts, where there are already several companies authorized for LNG export. That one could get too expensive, too.

Tim Rudell wrote for WKSU 29 April 2014, Bluegrass pipeline project through Ohio and beyond is cancelled, Continue reading Bluegrass fracked methane pipeline cancelled →

Sabal Trail citing Stewart County injunction in Brooks County, Georgia

April 22, 2014Brooks County, Economy, Environment, Fracking, Georgia, Law, Stewart CountyBrooks County, Economy, environment, Fracking, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Kitty Maidens, Law, Mavis L. Harper, property rights, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBusters, Stewart County, Travis H. HarperJohn S. Quarterman

Why would a pipeline company from Houston suffer irreparable harm if it couldn’t go onto the land of somebody in Georgia? A judge in one Georgia county bought Sabal Trail’s eminent domain assertions and now Sabal Trail is citing that to try to get a landowner in Brooks County to let it on the property to survey for its fracked methane pipeline. What about private property rights?

The letter dated 12 April 2014 from Sabal Trail includes this part:

A copy of the Order granting Sabal Trail’s request for injunctive relief, entered on February 21, 2014, is enclosed for your review. As you will see, the Order concluded that:

Sabal Trail has the right, incidental to its power of eminent domain, to enter private property to conduct the Survey Activities.
Delays in conducting the Survey Activities will cause Sabal Trail irreparable harm.
The Survey Activities will not cause substantial harm to the defendant landowners, nor will the surveys disserve the public interest.

Accordingly, the Order prohibits those landowners from preventing or interfering Continue reading Sabal Trail citing Stewart County injunction in Brooks County, Georgia →

Questions from SpectraBusters, Inc. to FERC

April 21, 2014Environment, FE, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, Health, Law, LNG, PHMSA, Safety, SolarBeth Gordon, efiling, environment, FE, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, Health, insurance, Law, LNG, PHMSA, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Sanford Bishop, SEC, solar, SpectraBusters, Ted Yoho, Texas Eastern PipelineJohn S. Quarterman

FERC’s ecomment system was malfunctioning, so Beth emailed this on behalf of the board, which unanimously approved it earlier that same day. She also forwarded it to John Peconom of FERC and to her U.S. Rep Ted Yoho (FL-03) and to Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02). Here is contact information for your elected officials and candidates. -jsq

From: Beth Gordon
To: efiling <efiling@ferc.gov>
Date: Sat, Apr 19, 2014 6:05 pm
Subject: PF14-1 Sabal Trail Pipeline
To Whom it may Concern at FERC:
I am the President of a group of citizens and landowners from Alabama, Georgia, and Florida affected by the Sabal Trail Pipeline. Here are some important questions we hope you will answer for us. We have had no answers from FERC representatives at any other time. These are the questions we would like answered:

Is lack of justification of energy need by Florida sufficient for FERC staff to recommend denying a permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline? Continue reading Questions from SpectraBusters, Inc. to FERC →

Spectra fined $18.6 million + $200 million cleanup for PCBs by Pennsylvania in 1991

April 21, 2014Corrosion, Economy, Environment, Fracking, Health, Law, Leak, Pennsylvania, Safety10-K, cancer, contamination, corrosion, Economy, environment, EPA, fine, Fracking, Health, John S. Quarterman, Law, leak, Marcellus Shale, PCB, Pennsylvania, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, SEC, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Texas Eastern Pipeline, toxicJohn S. Quarterman

That 1989 $15 million fine against Spectra for leaking PCBs at 89 pipeline locations was a record for EPA at that time, but Pennsylvania topped it a few years later.

Russell E. Eshleman Jr. wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer 15 May 1991, Pipeline Firm To Pay $218.6 Million For Pcb Contamination Across Pa.,

Texas Eastern Pipeline Corp. has agreed to pay Pennsylvania $18.6 million in penalties and $200 million in cleanup costs for dumping PCBs at 19 sites across the state, the Casey administration announced yesterday….

Remember, Texas Eastern is part of Spectra Energy now.

Penn. had asked for even more than it got, so it got enough: Continue reading Spectra fined $18.6 million + $200 million cleanup for PCBs by Pennsylvania in 1991 →