Category Archives: Georgia

Silent protest against Sabal Trail in Albany, GA

July 12, 2015Compressor, Dougherty County, Explosion, FERC, Georgia, LeakAndrea Grover, Chad Warbington, compressor, Darrel Ealum, Dinorah Hall, Dougherty County, Ewell Lyle, explosion, FERC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, leak, Maine, Roger Marietta, Searsmont, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Albany and Dougherty County are more opposed than ever to the invader from Houston.

Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 11 July 2015, Silent protest focuses on pipeline issues: Citizens gather to oppose natural gas pipeline, compressor station,

Even as a group of around 50 anti-pipeline activists gathered Saturday for a “silent protest” near the proposed site of a compressor station that would be part of the 460-mile Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline, an assumed candidate for Continue reading Silent protest against Sabal Trail in Albany, GA →

Call your Senators against TPP today

June 24, 2015Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LNGBill Nelson, David Perdue, Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority, Jeff Sessions, John S. Quarterman, Johnny Isakson, LNG, Marco Rubio, Richard Shelby, Senate, SpectraBusters, TPA, TPP, Trans-Pacific PartnershipJohn S. Quarterman

Turn one vote and actual approval of TPP will fail, because the pro-LNG-export pro-fracking pro-pipeline Trans-Pacific Partnership got Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) in the U.S. Senate yesterday “by the narrowest margin in the legislative mechanism’s history, 60-37. The procedural measure required 60 votes to pass.” So it’s time to call Florida Senator Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio (who apparently didn’t even read it), Georgia Senator David Perdue who claimed he wanted transparency and Johnny Isakson who should represent the people of Georgia, and all the other Senators who voted for that corporate power grab.

The most likely votes to turn are the Democrats who voted for. Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch, 23 June 2015, Blog Posts: Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP),

The 13 corporate trade backers included: Senators… Bill Nelson (D-Florida)….

Continue reading →

Deny Sabal Trail, said U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, and FERC ignored him

June 19, 2015Agriculture, Alabama, Compressor, Dougherty County, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, Law, Lee County, Safety, Stewart County, WaterAgriculture, Air, Alabama, Albany, aquifer, compressor, Dougherty County, eminent domain, FERC, FGT, Florida, Florida Gas Transmission, GDOT, Georgia, Georgia Department of Transportation, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, karst, Kinder Morgan, KMI, Law, lawsuit, Lee County, Mitchell County, noise, Palmetto Pipeline, pollution, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Sanford Bishop, sinkhole, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Stewart County, Transco, trespass, Water, Webster CountyJohn S. Quarterman

Citing the GDOT denial of KMI’s Palmetto Pipeline and numerous specific hazards of Spectra Energy’s proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline (sinkholes in karst limestone and a compressor station next to Albany’s water wells, all for no benefit to Georgia, by a company with a poor safety record), U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02) wrote to FERC (PDF):

I believe that FERC should deny STT’s application for a Certificate of Public Necessity.

And he told FERC to tell Sabal Trail to stop suing his constituents for eminent domain.

A year after Rep. Bishop listened in Albany for two hours to complaints about Sabal Trail, Dougherty County and Albany, Georgia filed followup letters to their resolutions against that pipeline. Neither FERC nor Sabal Trail answered them, so their Representative in the U.S. Congress forwarded their letters with that sharp cover letter. Three weeks later, FERC still hasn’t even filed his letter in their e-comment system, much less responded to it.

Just how lawless is FERC, anyway? Doesn’t a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations give them pause? Continue reading Deny Sabal Trail, said U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, and FERC ignored him →

FERC still stonewalling Dougherty County Commission and landowners about Sabal Trail

June 19, 2015Agriculture, Dougherty County, FERC, Hazards, Law, Safety, Trees, WaterAgriculture, air quality, Dougherty County, Dougherty County Commission, economic justice, FERC, forests, geology, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Law, Ned, noise, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, soil, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Trees, Water, wetlands, wildlifeJohn S. Quarterman

It’s not a short list; basically nothing Dougherty County previously asked has been answered by Sabal Trail or FERC:

They have not addressed the issues of (1) potential effects on geology and soil, (2) impacts on water resources and wetlands, (3) impacts on vegetation, forests, fisheries, wildlife and threatened species, (4) cumulative impacts, (5) public safety concerns, (6) purpose and need for the proposed pipeline, (7) alternatives to the preferred route, (8) air quality and noise and (9) socioeconomic factors – environmental justice.

Filed with FERC 6 April 2015 as Accession Number: 20150406-5144, “Comment of Dougherty County, Georgia under CP15-17.” Continue reading FERC still stonewalling Dougherty County Commission and landowners about Sabal Trail →

Albany wells in Sabal Trail’s path

June 19, 2015Dougherty County, FERC, Hazard, WaterAlbany, Dougherty County, FERC, Hazard, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Water, water supply, wellsJohn S. Quarterman

Does FERC care about Albany and Dougherty County’s water supply?

Filed with FERC 19 May 2015 as Accession Number: 20150519-5141, “Letter of concern for City of Albany’s water supply under CP15-17”:

City of Albany
POST OFFICE BOX 447
Albany, Georgia
31702-0447
Via Electronic Filing
May 19, 2015
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E., Room 1A
Washington, D.C. 20426
RE: Southeast Market Pipelines Project
Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC
Docket No. CP15-17-000
Docket No. CP14-16-000
Docket No. CP14-554-000
Dear Secretary Bose:
We wish to point out a special feature Continue reading Albany wells in Sabal Trail’s path →

At least put Sabal Trail on hold –Moultrie resolution

June 17, 2015Colquitt County, Compressor, FERC, Georgia, Law, Safety, WaterAirport, Colquitt County, compressor, ecosystem, eminent domain, FERC, FPL, GA EPD, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, need, NextEra, property rights, Sabal Trail, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, taxes, Water, William M. McIntoshJohn S. Quarterman

Moultrie‘s review shows the Texan and Floridan FERC-enabled Sabal Trail wants Colquitt County as a cheap invasion route, even though that threatens local property rights, taxes, health, welfare, airport, and general ecosystem, while there’s no demonstrated need for the fracked methane nor any definitive plans even to sell it in Georgia, so the Moultrie city government opposes the pipeline and resolves that it should at least be put on hold until local concerns are adequately considered by FERC and GA-EPD.

So both of the counties (Dougherty and Colquitt) and both of their county seats (Albany and Moultrie) named by Sabal Trail as needing gas through MGAG have passed resolutions saying they don’t want the pipeline at all, along with Terrell County, Brooks County, Lowndes County, and Valdosta, Georgia, plus Hamilton County, Florida.

Filed with FERC 6 May 2015 as Accession Number: 20150506-0008, “City of Moultrie, Georgia submits a Resolution re the Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC Natural Gas Pipeline etc under PF14-1.” Continue reading At least put Sabal Trail on hold –Moultrie resolution →

Pipeline companies abusing public-use doctrine –Steven Caley, GreenLaw, in AJC

June 16, 2015Georgia, LawGeorgia, Greenlaw, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, KMI, Law, Palmetto Project, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Atlanta is surrounded by pipeline invaders, and Steve Caley nailed why:

“The public-use doctrine is being twisted and abused by many companies proposing to build these pipelines that are really not for a public purpose, but for a private profit,” said Steve Caley, the interim director of Atlanta-based GreenLaw, an environmental nonprofit. “There needs to be a change in the law to further circumscribe the use of eminent domain.”

Dan Chapman, AJC, 13 June 2015, New pipelines fuel fights over property, recorded another pipeline company deliberately missing the point: Continue reading Pipeline companies abusing public-use doctrine –Steven Caley, GreenLaw, in AJC →

Texas pipeline invasion of Georgia in Los Angeles Times

June 7, 2015Agriculture, California, Georgia, LawAgriculture, Alan Zipperer, Houston, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, KMI, Law, Palmetto Pipeline, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, TexasJohn S. Quarterman

The people and state of Georgia can stop this Texas invader, and if that takes a California paper implying Texans are Yankees, so be it. As well as Kinder Morgan’s Palmetto petroleum products Pipeline, why not stop Spectra’s Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline? You can sign the petition Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.

Jenny Jarvie, L.A. Times, 1 June 2015, Landowners form a pipeline rebellion in the Deep South,

“I’m trying to protect something that was passed on to me,” said Georgia resident Jimmy Helmly, who opposes the pipeline. “People from away from here, with no ties, just want to make a dollar. I understand. I believe in American capitalism. But why should I sacrifice so you can make billions?”

When the letter arrived from a Texas pipeline company Continue reading Texas pipeline invasion of Georgia in Los Angeles Times →