Category Archives: Leak

PHMSA abnormal vs. accident

May 11, 2014Explosion, Law, Leak, PHMSA, Safetyabnormal operating condition, abnormal operations, accident, American Petroleum Institute, API, damage, death, explosion, Hazard, injury, John S. Quarterman, Law, leak, loss, PHMSA, Pipeline Hazardous Materials and Safety Agency, propaganda, property, regulatory capture, Safety, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Apparently an actual fire or explosion may (or may not) count as an accident according to PHMSA, but there’s a huge gap in PHMSA’s definitions: they don’t seem to say they apply to methane. And guess whose Public Awareness Program PHMSA requires pipeline operators to follow?

According to PHMSA’s Glossary and Definitions,

Accident
A release of the hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide transported that results in any of the following:

explosion or fire not intentionally set by the operator.
release of Continue reading PHMSA abnormal vs. accident →

PHMSA deputized Oregon PUC to investigate three-month Williams Co. methane leak

May 8, 2014Law, Leak, Oregon, SafetyGovernment, Law, leak, Oregon, PHMSA, Safety, SpectraBusters, WilliamsJohn S. Quarterman

Unless somebody dies or is injured, it’s not a reportable incident, says the federal agency in charge of investigating fracked methane pipeline safety. PHMSA finally deputized a state Oregon safety organization after three months of leaks from a pipeline owned by Williams Company, also owner of Transco, the first pipeline in the Transco -> Sabal Trail -> FSC chain to the sea through Alabama and Georgia to LNG export from Florida.

Lynne Terry reported for Oregon Live 10 January 2014, Safety switch triggers natural gas leak on Sauvie Island,

Williams spokesman Tom Droege said gas spewed into the air in a controlled manner for about 70 minutes. He said Williams personnel switched the gas flow to a secondary line. The station is now operating normally.

Gas service was not interrupted during the leak and no one was injured, Droege said.

The company apologized for inconvenience to residents. Households were evacuated and the bridge was closed in response to the leak.

Three months later, Continue reading PHMSA deputized Oregon PUC to investigate three-month Williams Co. methane leak →

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 →

Panel Discussion, Sabal Trail Pipeline, Valdosta State University

March 28, 2014Corrosion, Explosion, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, Health, Leak, Lowndes County, Noise, Safety, WaterElections, Georgia, Lowndes County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, Valdosta State UniversityJohn S. Quarterman

PDF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Valdosta, 28 March 2014 — Come to the SpectraBusters community panel about the Sabal Trail methane Pipeline Saturday at Valdosta State University, to learn how the pipeline could affect you, your property, and our community. Discussion will be followed by a question and answer session, in this free event, to which elected and appointed officials and candidates and the public are invited.

Saturday
29 March 2014
3PM to 5PM
Lowndes County
Georgia

SpectraBusters Community Panel
Student Union Theater
Valdosta State University
1500 N. Patterson Street
Valdosta, GA 31698
(229) 333-5800

Continue reading →

TREPO allies with SpectraBusters and pipeline opponents

March 25, 2014Columbia County, Corrosion, Economy, Environment, Explosion, Florida, Hazards, Leak, Safety, Waterbirding, Columbia County, corrosion, environment, explosion, FGT, Florida, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Gas Transmission, Great Florida Birding Trail, Hazards, Ichetucknee River, Ichetucknee Springs Basin, Ichetucknee Trace, John S. Quarterman, leak, methane, National Audubon Society, Natural National Landmark, Outstanding Florida Waterway, rivers, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Santa Fe River, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, springs, Three River Estates Property Owners Fort White, TREPOJohn S. Quarterman

Received Monday 25 March 2014 as a PDF. -jsq

Three River Estates Property Owners, Inc.
P.O. Box 148
Fort White, FL 32038-0148
386-497-3320

Position Statement on Sabal Trail/Spectra Energy Methane Pipeline

The Three River Estates Property Owners (TREPO) Board of Directors joins with other homeowners and conservation groups in strongly opposing the placement of the Sabal Trail Methane gas pipeline, anywhere in the Ichetucknee Springs Basin & Ichetucknee Trace & surrounding areas. We specifically oppose Continue reading TREPO allies with SpectraBusters and pipeline opponents →

Methane pipeline safety record questioned –Lauren Ritchie

March 19, 2014Corrosion, Explosion, FERC, Florida, Leak, Maine, Martin County, New York, Osceola County, Safety, WaterAndrea Grover, Bangor, Bay Lake, corrosion, explosion, FERC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, Floridan Aquifer, Green Swamp, John S. Quarterman, Lake County, Lauren Ritchie, leak, Maine, Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, Martin County, negligence, New York, Osceola County, PF14-1, PF14-2, Polk County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

A reporter for a major newspaper is calling Spectra on its safety record, and calling Spectra’s responses “not good enough”! After thirty years of Spectra safety promises, that’s putting it mildly. A Maine resident put it this way after the Spectra’s Searsmont compressor blowout: “we were clearly lied to”.

Lauren Ritchie wrote for the Orlando Sentinel today, Safety record of natural-gas pipeline partner raises concerns,

Spectra Energy Corp. along with FPL’s parent, NextEra Energy, would bury the 473-mile Sabal Trail pipeline expected to carry 1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to just south of Orlando in Osceola County, where it would connect to another line for eventual delivery to FPL in Martin County.

Spectra’s safety record, however, leaves something to be desired.

Take, for example, the company’s Texas Eastern pipeline, a 9,200-mile Spectra project connecting Texas with the markets in the Northeast.

Between 2006 and 2013, the company had 21 “incidents” along the line, causing Continue reading Methane pipeline safety record questioned –Lauren Ritchie →

Water supply more important than methane pipeline –Lauren Ritchie

March 16, 2014Explosion, FERC, Florida, Lake County, Leak, Martin County, Osceola County, Safety, WaterBay Lake, explosion, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, Floridan Aquifer, Green Swamp, John S. Quarterman, Lake County, Lauren Ritchie, leak, Martin County, Osceola County, PF14-1, PF14-2, Polk County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

“But this isn’t an issue just for tree-huggers. It’s one that every person who uses water ought to latch on to,” she wrote.

I added the links and the images below to what Lauren Ritchie wrote in the Orlando Sentinel yesterday, Move path for natural-gas pipeline to protect water supply,

Only a relatively small piece of a proposed natural-gas pipeline that is to cross three states would come through a corner of south Lake County, but the route is directly through one of the most environmentally sensitive areas in Florida.

And, unfortunately, the pipeline is to be built by a company whose safety record is hardly sterling and whose tendency is to stare silently when asked questions about accidents.

I’d recognize the pipeline company from that description. Continue reading Water supply more important than methane pipeline –Lauren Ritchie →

Gas explosion in Harlem

March 12, 2014Explosion, Hazards, Leak, New YorkDurham Woods, Edison, explosion, Harlem, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, leak, Manhattan, New Jersey, New York, New York City, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

A huge methane explosion in New York City reminds people of 9/11. And of Spectra’s Durham Woods explosion in Edison, NJ.

Michael J. Feeney, Greg B. Smith, Pete Donohue, Jennifer H. Cunningham, Stephen Rex Brown and Corky Siemaszko for the New York Daily News, today, Underground gas explosion in East Harlem kills 3, injures dozens — up to 10 people feared missing: sources

“It’s a tragedy of the worst kind,’ Mayor de Blasio says Wednesday near Park Ave. and E. 116th St. Up to 10 people were still missing from the two buildings that contained 15 apartments, Absolute Piano and Spanish Christian Church, an NYPD source said. One of the victims was identified by sources as Griselde Camacho, 44, who lived at 1644 Park Ave.”

Nobody knows for sure the cause, but it appears to be gas:

“There was no warning in advance,” said Mayor de Blasio, who added that the cause of the blast that also flattened 1646 Park Ave. appears to be a gas leak.

Ah, maybe there will be a real investigation of this one: Continue reading Gas explosion in Harlem →

No Fracked Gas in Mass. allies with SpectraBusters

March 11, 2014Agriculture, Economy, Environment, Explosion, Fracking, Leak, Massachusetts, Safety, Solar, Trees, WaterAgriculture, Economy, environment, explosion, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, leak, Massachusetts, No Fracked Gas in Mass, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, solar, SpectraBusters, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, TGP, Trees, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Another new ally added to the Allies page; today it’s No Fracked Gas in Mass., who bring us excellent tips on getting a resolution your local elected government’s agenda.

“Fighting Kinder Morgan/TGP’s Northeast Expansion across the Berkshires and Northern Massachusetts. Our mission is to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and to create a comprehensive renewable energy infrastructure.”

They have an excellent post about getting resolutions on your town meeting agenda:

If you are thinking about bringing a non-binding resolution before your town meeting, time is running out. Each town has its own deadline for adding items to town meeting’s agenda and its own requirements for resolutions — in Cummington, we needed to gather just fifteen signatures and submit them to our town clerk for verification. Ask your select board members or your town clerk what the deadline is, and what the requirements are, for your town.

You can download the Cummington resolution to use as a model (here is a .txt version); if you are wondering what the point of a non-binding resolution is, please read this.

In Massachusetts select board members are what many other places call city council members. And many towns in Mass. make it easy for citizens to get resolutions on their agendas. Why should it be more difficult anywhere else? You can contact your Continue reading No Fracked Gas in Mass. allies with SpectraBusters →

Property rights and water: please deny the Sabal Trail methane pipeline –Tim Carroll, Valdosta City Council, 5th District

March 2, 2014Corrosion, Environment, Explosion, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, Health, Law, Leak, Safety, Watercorrosion, eminent domain, explosion, FERC, Floridan Aquifer, Georgia, Hazards, Health, Law, leak, property rights, public good, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, sinkhole, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Tim Carroll, Valdosta City Council, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Filed with FERC 3 March 2014; PDF -jsq

Tim Carroll, Valdosta, GA.

To: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

I am writing to you on behalf of citizens that live in my city council district. Specifically those that will be negatively impacted by the Sabal Trail methane gas pipeline. Please accept the following reasons why I oppose this project coming through our community.

Eminent Domain laws refer to the greater good of the citizens of the community and/or state where this law is being used. Continue reading Property rights and water: please deny the Sabal Trail methane pipeline –Tim Carroll, Valdosta City Council, 5th District →