Category Archives: Lowndes County

Opposes Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County –Lowndes County Commission

Alabama, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, Safety, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Escalating from the Chairman’s letter of 11 April 2014, perhaps after listening to requests from citizens, the Lowndes County Commission passed a resolution wanting no part of Sabal Trail in the county or in the state of Georgia.

Update 2014-11-25: Well, according to Joe Adgie in the Valdosta Daily Times today, “Even though the missive has already been mailed [to FERC], the resolution will not be formally voted on until the county commission’s next meeting in December [9th].”

Filed with FERC in docket CP15-17 on 21 November 2014 as Accession Number: 20141121-5242, but that was a Friday and FERC doesn’t work on weekends, so it actually appeared Monday 24 November 2014.

300x52 Commissioners, in Lowndes County Commission Work Session, by John S. Quarterman, 10 November 2014 RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas has proposed to build a $3.7 Billion, 460mile natural gas line known as Sabal Trail, and;

WHEREAS, The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners has concerns regarding personal property rights Continue reading Opposes Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County –Lowndes County Commission →

FERC recovers cost of operations through charges and fees from the industries it regulates –FERC FY14 Budget

Alabama, Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, History, Law, LNG, Lowndes County, Maryland, Suwannee County, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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 →

VSU Spectator covers pipeline protest at Valdosta Sabal Trail office

Economy, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, Safety, , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s time for more counties to follow Dougherty County’s lead and pass resolutions against the Sabal Trail pipeline. Local protests in Valdosta and citizens speaking before local governments emphasize that point.

Brittney Penland, VSU Spectator, Page 2, 6 November 2014, Students, faculty protest future pipeline,

300x334 Students protesting, in Students, faculty protest future pipeline, by Brittney Penland, for SpectraBusters.org, 6 November 2014 Protestors gathered on Oct. 31 at the corner of Park Avenue and Patterson Street to argue against the building of the Sabal Trail gas pipeline.

The protesters were associated with VSU’s Students Against Violating the Environment and Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy. The costumes they were dressed in for Halloween attracted honking and “thumbs up’s” from those driving by.

Another protest is scheduled for today at Continue reading VSU Spectator covers pipeline protest at Valdosta Sabal Trail office →

Halloween Protest Against Sabal Trail in Valdosta, GA

Georgia, Lowndes County, Safety, , , , , , , , ,

Facebook event by Dr. Michael Noll:

Friday at 4:00pm – 5:00 pm
2110 N Patterson Street

Zombies, monsters, ghosts, and inhuman pipelines join forces to STOP Sabal Trail Pipeline!

That’s in Valdosta, Georgia, in front of the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline office.

-jsq

Lack of need, false pretense, and duress: FERC omitted page 3 from Bill Kendall’s letter

Alabama, Ethics, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, Georgia, History, Law, Lowndes County, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s integrated into the previous post now. It’s well worth reading.

See also Bill and Nanci Kendall quoted in the VDT with protest signs.

-jsq

March against Sabal Trail from VSU to Sabal Trail Valdosta office 2014-10-21

Georgia, Lowndes County, , , , , , , , , , , ,

From VSU’s front lawn, marching up Patterson Street, Students Against Violating the Environment (S.A.V.E.) today. That’s first in 1,2,3 against Sabal Trail. They’re marching to #2, the protest in front of the Sabal Trail Valdosta office, followed by the Sabal Trail Open House in Jasper, FL, all today. Here’s S.A.V.E.’s facebook event And here’s S.A.V.E. president Adriana Taylor and former president Danielle Jordan protesting the pipeline in Leesburg, GA 10 July 2014:

-jsq

Sabal pipeline protest today –VDT

Georgia, Lowndes County, , , , , , , , , , , ,

You can march from VSU, go to this protest at the Sabal Trail office in Valdosta (facebook event), and onwards to 300x269 Tom Hochschild and two other protesters, in Protest against Sabal Trail Pipeline, by John S. Quarterman, 9 September 2014 the Sabal Trail Open House in Jasper, FL, all today.

Joe Adgie wrote for the VDT 21 October 2104, Sabal pipeline protest today,

VALDOSTA — Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy will be protesting the proposed Sabal Trail Pipeline today.

The protest will be located on the corner of Park Avenue and Patterson Street from 4-5 p.m.

The VDT neglected to mention that that’s Sabal Trail’s Valdosta office address, which Sabal Trail opened back in December. Continue reading Sabal pipeline protest today –VDT →

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 →

Rosalynn Carter at Lowndes County Courthouse 6PM Thu 9 Oct 2014

Georgia, Lowndes County, Politics, , , , , , , , , ,

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will speak in support of Jason Carter for Governor of Georgia at the Lowndes County Courthouse in Valdosta, Georgia, 6PM Thursday 9 October 2014.

The last time Jason Carter was in Valdosta, 1 July 2014, he was informed by a number of SpectraBusters about the Sabal Trail pipeline, its hazards, and its lack of benefits for Georgians.

The venue in July was a speech to the Lowndes County Democratic Party which opposes that pipeline, as do many organizations in Lowndes County, south Georgia, and elsewhere 300x225 Pipeline No with Jason Carter, in Jason Carter, by John S. Quarterman, 1 July 2014 (see for example Dr. Michael G. Noll, president of WACE, pictured with Jason Carter).

Others held No Pipeline signs and talked to other candidates. Pictured below are Danielle Jordan (then president of S.A.V.E. at VSU) and Glenn Ritchie talking to Daniel Blackman, candidate for Georgia Public Service Commissioner.

At that July meeting, I spoke directly with Jason Carter about the pipeline. Continue reading Rosalynn Carter at Lowndes County Courthouse 6PM Thu 9 Oct 2014 →

Make Sabal Trail resurvey all the properties –Bill Kendall

Alabama, Ethics, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, Georgia, History, Law, Lowndes County, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

300x387 Letters sent before contract awarded, in Resurvey all the properties, by Bill Kendall, for SpectraBusters.org, 29 September 2014 Update 27 October 2014: Added page 3 FERC had omitted, about lack of need, most property owners already have a pipeline, explosions, false pretense, and duress.

Because of the last point about Nathan Deal, several people brought this ecomment to my attention today. Its main request is for FERC to vacate surveys taken through permission obtained through misleading letters, and make Sabal Trail resurvey only those properties whose landowners give permission after being informed important information such as that Sabal Trail cannot use Georgia eminent domain.

Actually, the Lowndes County government got a letter from Sabal Trail 19 June 2013, even earlier than the ones noted below. Also, the point about Delays I haven’t seen before, especially combined with the point about harm to landowners. The date of formation reaches its punchline two pages later in reputation. I added the links and images. Filed with FERC 30 September 2014.

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary; FERC;
Concerning PF14-1

300x387 B: FPL map, in Resurvey all the properties, by Bill Kendall, for SpectraBusters.org, 29 September 2014 On December 19, 2012, Florida Power & Light, hereafter referred to as FPL. issued a Request For Proposal with a deadline of April 3, 2013 ((A) see attached Florida PSC report), to construct a natural gas pipeline from Southwest central Alabama to South central Florida a distance of some 700 miles and completely by-passing Georgia ((B) see attached FPL map).

300x233 C: Sabal Trail map, in Resurvey all the properties, by Bill Kendall, for SpectraBusters.org, 29 September 2014 Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC, hereafter referred to as STT, changed the FPL route, at their discretion, Continue reading Make Sabal Trail resurvey all the properties –Bill Kendall →