Category Archives: Georgia

Sabal Trail formal FERC filing CP15-17

November 21, 2014Alabama, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, LNG, Solar, WaterAlabama, Economy, eminent domain, FERC, Florida, FPL, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, LNG, NextEra Energy, property rights, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, taxes, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Have Dougherty and Colquitt County sold us out to Sabal Trail? Sabal Trail’s FERC filing seems to say so.

One day after Transco’s Hillabee, Sabal Trail filed CP15-17 21 November 2014 in ten submissions with dozens of PDF files. So Andrea Grover’s “sometime later this year” turns out to be today.

The first submission alone is 581 pages, none of which mention any of the words solar or photovoltaic, nor LNG or export, according to a PDF search. A search for privileged finds that, though. Continue reading Sabal Trail formal FERC filing CP15-17 →

Bike Lines to stop Pipe Lines 22-25 Nov 2014

November 20, 2014Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, Sumter CountyAlbany, Americus, bicycle, Clarke County, Dougherty County, Economy, environment, Fracking, GCCC, Georgia, Georgia Climate Change Coalition, Gretchen Elsner, pipeline, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Sumter CountyJohn S. Quarterman

200 miles from Athens to Albany, Saturday November 22nd through Tuesday November 25th. (PDF)

Ride supported by the Georgia Climate Change Coalition & Georgia Bikes! Continue reading Bike Lines to stop Pipe Lines 22-25 Nov 2014 →

I am opposed to Sabal Trail’s Alternative –GA Rep. Gerald Greene to FERC

November 20, 2014Agriculture, Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, Georgia, WaterAgriculture, Dougherty County, Economy, environment, Georgia, Gerald Greene, John S. Quarterman, Mark Daniel, Mark's Melon Patch, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sasser Route Alternative, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Terrell County, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

“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 →

Letter writing against Sabal Trail @ GCCC 2014-11-19

November 17, 2014FERC, GeorgiaActivism, FERC, Georgia, Georgia Climate Change Coalition, Government, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Opposition to Sabal Trail has spread to Athens, Georgia, where the Georgia Climate Change Coalition (GCCC) is writing letters.

Letter Writing Campaign to oppose Sabal Trail Pipeline,

GCCC will host a letter writing campaign to oppose the Sabal Trail Natural Gas Pipeline slated to traverse delicate habitats & acquifiers throughout the South Georgia region. For background on the opposition to this pipeline, click here. Drop by any time during the day on November 19 at the Athens-Clarke County Heritage Foundation Firehouse (489 Prince Avenue) and there will be someone to brief you and postcards to write.
After writing your letter, stay for our 2014 Annual Meeting at 6pm.

Then, on November 22nd a group of bicyclists will leave Athens to make the 200-mile journey to Albany Georgia, passing through Macon, to Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia along the way, staging letter writing/community education/networking events along the way. In the early afternoon of 25th we will arrive in Albany and meet with community leaders. We will then return as a group to Decatur to host the last event of this brief tour.

-jsq

Find that Sabal Trail has not met its burden to show the pipeline is needed –Winfred Dukes

November 14, 2014Dougherty County, Environment, Ethics, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, Safety, WaterAlbany, Dinorah Hall, Dougherty County, enfironmental justice, environment, Ethics, FERC, Florida, FPL, Georgia, Gloria Gains, John S. Quarterman, Law, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Steven D. Caley, Water, Winfred Dukes, Winfred J. DukesJohn S. Quarterman

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 →

An unnecessary threat by an unsafe company –Ted Turner’s Nonami Plantation to FERC about Sabal Trail

November 14, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, FERC, Georgia, Law, Safety, WaterAlbany, compressor, Dougherty County, FERC, Georgia, habitat, John S. Quarterman, Joshua D. Marks, karst, Law, limestone, Nonami, property values, Safety, sinkhole, SONAT, SpectraBusters, Ted Turner, Terrell County, Water, wildlifeJohn S. Quarterman

And checkered pipeline company safety records, says Nonami:

The Project is Not Necessary and Thus Fails to Satisfy FERC Requirement of Being Publicly Necessary and Convenient
If Project is Proven Publicly Necessary, Alternative, Less Impactful Routes Exist
Pipeline Threatens the Property and the Community
Station Threatens the Property and the Community
Sabal’s Proponents have a Checkered Safety Record
Formal Public Opposition
Conclusion

I’ve added a few links and illustrations, but Nonami’s filing is so thorough it would take a long time to link to all the evidence.

Filed with FERC 13 November 2014, Comment filed on behalf of Nonami Oglethorpe, LLC by Davis, Pickren, Seydel & Sneed, LLP under PF14-1. Continue reading An unnecessary threat by an unsafe company –Ted Turner’s Nonami Plantation to FERC about Sabal Trail →

Needless risk through unnecessary crossings –SONAT to FERC about Sabal Trail

November 14, 2014Corrosion, Economy, FERC, GeorgiaBerrien County, boring, corrosion, crossings, Economy, FERC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, risk, soil, SONAT, Southern Natural Gas, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Disturbance of soil, exacerbating corrosion, needless risk through unnecessary crossings, and cutting corners through inappropriate boring methods: when even another pipeline company calls you out for those things, you’ve got a problem, Sabal Trail. And Southern Natural Gas just did that in ecomments to FERC.

SONAT should be worried about this after last week in Berrien County, Georgia:

Each crossing poses a risk during construction of the crossing as well as ongoing risks during operation and maintenance of the pipelines. Since the SNG pipeline must remain in service during construction of the crossings, each time Sabal Trail bores under, or cuts under, the SNG pipeline there is an increased risk that the integrity of the SNG pipeline will be compromised.

A humble county ditch puller broke SONAT’s pipeline on Bradford Road, resulting in Sheriff’s deputies from two counties, a city 911 vehicle, and an ambulance being scrambled, in addition to a fleet of Kinder Morgan vehicles. And me, since this break was only a few miles from my house, and the valve they used to turn off Berrien County is on my property. Neighbors I’ve known all my life were evacuated. One spark and they wouldn’t have had anything to come back to. And this was a 9 or 10-inch pipeline at 800PSI. Sabal Trail wants to run a 36-inch pipeline at twice the pressure, more than 20 times the gas. Why should any of us accept that risk for Sabal Trail’s corner-cutting profit?

You should have seen the face the Kinder Morgan rep on the spot pulled when I mentioned Sabal Trail. Now we can see spelled out what SONAT really thinks about their competitor, including: Continue reading Needless risk through unnecessary crossings –SONAT to FERC about Sabal Trail →

Agriculture over pipeline: Terrell County resolution against Sabal Trail

November 13, 2014Agriculture, Compressor, Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Safety, WaterAgriculture, agritourism, compressor, creeks, cultural, Economy, environment, FERC, forest, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, socioeconomic, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, streams, Terrell County, Water, wetland, wildlifeJohn S. Quarterman

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 →

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

November 12, 2014Alabama, Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, History, Law, LNG, Lowndes County, Maryland, Suwannee County, WaterAlabama, appropriation, charges, compressor, Congress, corruption, Cove Point LNG, Dougherty County, Economy, environment, Federal Power Act, fees, FERC, Florida, FPA, Georgia, Hamilton County, History, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Lowndes County, Maryland, Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, Treasury, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

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 →

Consider Panhandle route: page 2 of Dougherty County Sabal Trail resolution

November 11, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, Safetyactivists, community, compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, FERC, Florida, FPL, Georgia, Hazards, need, Panhandle Route, Safety, SpectraBusters, Spencer Lee, transparencyJohn S. Quarterman

The page FERC lost of the Dougherty County resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline asks FERC to move it completely out of Georgia:

SECTION III We ask that serious consideration and analysis be given to the alternative route through the Panhandle of Florida, a copy of which is attached hereto.

The missing page is now integrated into the previous post. Thanks to Dougherty County Attorney Spencer Lee for sending it. And below is that Panhandle route, as filed by Sabal Trail with FERC in November 2013. Continue reading Consider Panhandle route: page 2 of Dougherty County Sabal Trail resolution →