Category Archives: Brooks County

Citizens oppose Sabal Trail in Albany, Moultrie, and Valdosta this week –WTOC, Albany, GA

Brooks County, Colquitt County, Compressor, Dougherty County, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Law, Lee County, Lowndes County, Safety, Suwannee County, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Property rights, environment, health, and safety are why citizens oppose Sabal Trail, including tonight in Albany or Tuesday in Moultrie or Wednesday in Valdosta. Be sure to show up by 5:30 PM to sign up to speak.

Caitlyn Chastain, WTOC, 28 September 2015, Public meetings ahead for Sabal Trail Pipeline, starting today,

It’s a project that has gained a lot of attention and a lot of criticism.

Many people are concerned Continue reading Citizens oppose Sabal Trail in Albany, Moultrie, and Valdosta this week –WTOC, Albany, GA →

Call DNR board before Wednesday to stop river land giveaway to Sabal Trail

Brooks County, Colquitt County, Dougherty County, Georgia, Lowndes County, Stewart County, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leases and permanent easements to cross the Chattahoochee River, Flint River, Ochlockonee River, and Withlacoochee River: that’s what the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Board proposes to vote on this Wednesday morning, in Atlanta, far from any of the proposed crossings or the directly affected counties, with no publ ic hearing and minimal public announcement. You can call them or send them email to ask them not to do that. Or show up in Atlanta 9AM Wednesday 23 September 2015 and speak; bring a written statement if you do that. Atlanta metro people, we need you to go to that meeting!

Agenda at this link. DNR board list at this link. DNR didn’t supply any contact information for its board members, but DNR’s own contact is: Continue reading Call DNR board before Wednesday to stop river land giveaway to Sabal Trail →

Sabal Trail repeatedly sent letters to landowners claiming Georgia eminent domain authority –SpectraBusters to judge

Brooks County, Colquitt County, Dougherty County, Georgia, Law, Lee County, Lowndes County, Stewart County, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

SpectraBusters sent examples of Sabal Trail’s many threats of eminent domain, in this letter to Leesburg for the ongoing eminent domain and criminal trespass trial.

300x388 Standing, in Sb leesburg, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 31 March 2015

Re: Case number 14CV208RS
Judge Rucker Smith

To: Cindy Clark
Civil Deputy Clerk
County Courthouse
100 Leslie Highway
Leesburg, Georgia 31763

If it please the court,

SpectraBusters, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit corporation with board members and other participants in all three states directly affected by the Sabal Trail proposed pipeline: Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. The SpectraBusters board voted Monday March 30th 2015 to send this letter to the court to express our concerns about Sabal Trail’s attempts to claim Georgia eminent domain long before it tried to claim customers in Georgia, as well as possible ill effects throughout the pipeline route, especially in Georgia, if the judge were to rule in this case for application of Georgia eminent domain. Even with Sabal Trail’s claimed agreement with the Metropolitan Gas Authority of Georgia (MGAG), Sabal Trail is still “a long way” Continue reading Sabal Trail repeatedly sent letters to landowners claiming Georgia eminent domain authority –SpectraBusters to judge →

Likely loss of drilling fluid in limestone under rivers –FL DEP to FERC

Alachua County, Brooks County, Columbia County, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hamilton County, Hazards, Leak, Lowndes County, Suwannee County, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Apparently the Florida Department of Environmental Protection complained to FERC that any drilling under our blackwater rivers would leak contaminants into the karst limestone that contains our drinking water Floridan Aquifer:

Update 2015-04-03: Additions now that FERC eLibrary is working, including third point below.

  • Sabal Trail underestimated karst features—additional, more recent data available from agencies including LiDAR, potentiometric surface maps, and cave maps.
  • Highest agency concern is associated with likely loss of drilling fluid associated with HDDs in limestone bedrock including at the Suwannee, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee rivers.
  • Drilling fluid loss would have an environmental impact; risk and magnitude of impact on groundwater, wells and springs should be based on updated, site-specific information.

Filed with FERC 1 April 2015 as Continue reading Likely loss of drilling fluid in limestone under rivers –FL DEP to FERC →

Albany, MGAG, and Brooks County, GA moved to intervene with Sabal Trail

Brooks County, Dougherty County, FERC, Georgia, Law, , , , , , , , , , ,

Yesterday’s crop of intervenors included Brooks County, Georgia, Albany Audubon Society, and Albany, Georgia, the county seat of Dougherty County, which filed the previous day, Today’s the deadline! Here’s how to file a motion to intervene.

Plus yesterday the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia (MGAG) filed. MGAG is the customer Sabal Trail claimed in Georgia so it could try to exercise Georgia eminent domain. Sabal Trail said Dougherty and Colquitt were the counties despite both Dougherty County and Albany having already passed resolutions wanting no Sabal Trail in their city, county, or state, Colquitt County having passed a resolution against the pipeline, and the Mayor of Moultrie saying on WCTV that Moultrie had never been asked if they needed or wanted any gas.

Maybe today we’ll see motions to intervene by Lowndes County and Valdosta, both of which have passed resolutions against the pipeline.

That Brooks County motion is hard to find, being filed as Continue reading Albany, MGAG, and Brooks County, GA moved to intervene with Sabal Trail →

Sabal Trail Notice of EIS Intent and Route Alternatives

Alabama, Brooks County, Compressor, Dougherty County, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hamilton County, Hazards, Lee County, Levy County, Lowndes County, Marion County, Osceola County, Suwannee County, Tallapoosa County, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A FERC comment period ending 15 November 2014 seems to mean Sabal Trail will miss its 31 October formal filing date. 300x391 Withlacoochee River Crossing Route Alternative, Hamilton and Suwannee Counties, Florida (bare), in Sabal Trail Notice of EIS Intent, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 15 October 2014 No relief suggested for crossing the Withlacoochee River at the border of Brooks and Lowndes Counties, Georgia (or inside Lowndes County next to Valdosta, according to several of the previous alternatives). And every proposed path still crosses the Suwannee River into Suwannee County.

Maybe that’s because the Dougherty County Commission and the Albany City Council actually stood up for their citizens, as did Gilchrist County (see Wacassassa Flats Alternative), while the Suwannee County Commission swallowed Sabal Trail disinformation and the Lowndes County Commission and the Valdosta City Council did little (except one letter from the Chairman) or nothing (except one letter from one Council member).

300x131 Sasser Route Alternative, Albany Compressor station Alternatives, Terrell, Lee, and Dougherty Counties. Georgia (bottom), in Sabal Trail Notice of EIS Intent, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 15 October 2014 There’s still time for Dougherty, Lowndes, and all the other counties and cities to pass ordinances, and to lobby state and federal agencies and elected and appointed officials. Oh, and there’s an election going on.

Also no mention of Sabal Trail’s Jasper, Florida Open House, 5-7:30 Tuesday 21 October 2014, but STT’s newspaper notice said the public is invited, so y’all come!

Filed with FERC today, 15 October 2014, Supplemental Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environment Impact Statement for the Planned Southeast Market Pipeline Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues etc. re Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC under PF14-1.

-jsq

Docket No. PF14-1-000

Continue reading Sabal Trail Notice of EIS Intent and Route Alternatives →

Sabal Trail in Quitman Free Press

Brooks County, Georgia, , , , , , , , ,

Quitman Free Press posted on facebook yesterday this cryptic note:

The Sabal Trail plans to come through Brooks County. See page 12.

Brooks County landowners don’t have to surrender at the first offer of eminent domain. Like Georgians at Fort Morris to the British invaders of 1778, they can give this laconic reply:

Come and Take It!

-jsq

It seems that they just draw lines at random –James Ryder via Sen. Marco Rubio

Brooks County, Economy, Environment, Ethics, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, Trees, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Florida’s other Senator just intervened with FERC on behalf of a landowner who has been trying to get reasonable solutions out of Spectra Energy since at least December. Sabal Trail is trying to force their unnecessary pipeline through this Brooks County, Georgia property among others that already have a gas pipeline: this one also already has an FPL power line. Why should FPL get to deface anybody’s property for both a power line and a pipeline while destroying wetlands and trees? Why do we think this will be the last pipeline if it is allowed to go in? As the Ryders ask, “If this was your farm, how would you like it divided?” How about not at all?

Filed with FERC 6 June 2014 as Senator Marco Rubio submits comments re the Southeast Market Pipelines Project under PF14-1. Florida Senator Bill Nelson intervened on behalf of Amelia Longley back on 1 November 2013.

Cover letter Continue reading It seems that they just draw lines at random –James Ryder via Sen. Marco Rubio →

Sabal Trail citing Stewart County injunction in Brooks County, Georgia

Brooks County, Economy, Environment, Fracking, Georgia, Law, Stewart County, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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?

300x404 Sabal Trail to Brooks County landowners, in Sabal Trail citing Stewart County injunction in Brooks County, Georgia 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 →