Category Archives: Hazards

Real questions at Gilchrist County Commission

Economy, Florida, Gilchrist County, Hazards, Law, Safety, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Two hours of first questions from a citizens committee with Spectra’s reps expected to answer right there in front of everybody, then questions from locals and people from many counties around, including attorneys representing landowners and other county commissions cross-examining Spectra on the spot. The Chairman of the Gilchrist County Commission said there was a general opinion among the populace that they were asking specific questions and getting only general answers. Congratulations, Chairman, Commission, staff, Committee, and everyone who asked questions for showing the world how it’s done, and for exposing Spectra’s evasions to public scrutiny.


Brian Fahrenthold (Spectra), Pete Butts (Citizen Committee), Bobby Crosby (County Administrator), Stephanie Denardo (WUFT), David M. Lang Jr. (County Attorney), Gilchrist County Commission, County Clerk, and more Spectra reps in foreground

You’ll see for yourself in the videos of the whole thing. Almost all: so much both camera batteries ran down, and it took a bit to find a plug.

One of the citizen committee questions was about Spectra’s safety record. Brian Fahrenthold assured the commission that Continue reading Real questions at Gilchrist County Commission →

Spectra’s Durham Woods apartment fire, Edison, NJ, 1994

Economy, Explosion, Hazards, Health, Middlesex County, New Jersey, Safety, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Children running naked into the flaming night of a Spectra pipeline fireball, thousands evacuated, hundreds made homeless, some burnt or “felled by smoke”, one woman literally scared to death, all caused by corrosion in a dent Spectra knew about years before, and NTSB says it’s up to local governments to make pipeline companies prevent it happening again.

Robert D. McFadden wrote for NYTimes 25 March 1994, EXPLOSION IN EDISON: The Overview; New Jersey Pipeline Explosion Sets Off Panic, Chaos and Fear,

A natural gas pipeline explosion that awestruck witnesses compared to a blinding, scorching nuclear blast turned a neighborhood in the central New Jersey town of Edison early yesterday into a war zone of flames, panic and chaos.


Local resident jseaton uploaded to YouTube 15 May 2006, Edison Natural Gas Explosion – Durham Woods: “This is my video footage of the gas pipeline explosion in Edison NJ (March 1994). This was taken while trying to evacuate the Durham Woods apartment complex”

Back to the NYTimes story:

Scores of residents were hurt, one death was reported and Continue reading Spectra’s Durham Woods apartment fire, Edison, NJ, 1994 →

Interrogate the Sabal Trail pipeline in Gilchrist County 2014-02-20

Economy, Florida, Gilchrist County, Hazards, Law, Water, , , , , , , , ,

PDF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Valdosta, 17 February 2014 — On the agenda with questions from a citizens committee plus 3 minutes for local citizens to speak to the Gilchrist County Commission about the proposed Sabal Trail methane gas pipeline. Please remember to fill out a speaking card when you enter the building. Anyone from anywhere can come listen, or protest against the pipeline outside.

When:  5:00 PM
Thursday, February 20 th 2014

Where: BOCC Meeting Facility
210 South Main Street
Trenton, Florida 32693
(352) 463-3198

Pipeline? No! Why: Spectra Energy, which had compressor station leaks in Maine last month and in Pennsylvania last year, plus multiple fines by Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for corrosion and leaks, and a record $15 million EPA fine for PCB contamination, proposes a hundred-foot-wide gash Continue reading Interrogate the Sabal Trail pipeline in Gilchrist County 2014-02-20 →

Gas line ruptures under Raritan River

Hazards, Middlesex County, New Jersey, PHMSA, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Central New Jersey last week, Alabama, Georgia, or Florida next year, under the Chattahoochee, the Flint, the Withlacoochee, the Suwannee, the Santa Fe, or the Ichetucknee River? Both Spectra and Williams Transco have pipelines under the Raritan River, and they want pipelines under our rivers.

Tom Davis wrote for New Brunswick Patch 14 February 2014, UPDATE: Ruptured Gas Line In Raritan River; Local Roads Closed,

The Fire Department and PSE&G are currently working on a ruptured gas line which runs under the Raritan River.

Due to a ruptured gas line in the vicinity of the Raritan River, portions of Johnson Drive will be closed to traffic. Expect delays and/or possible detours. The New Brunswick Fire Department and PSE&G are on scene and are not requiring any evacuations at this time.

There is no need for evacuation at this time. There is a strong odor of natural gas in the area.

Nicholas West posted a video on New Brunswick today that same day: Gas Line Ruptures in the Middle of the Raritan River: Continue reading Gas line ruptures under Raritan River →

Judge lets pipeline company intervene in lawsuit

Alabama, Hazards, Health, Jackson County MS, Law, Leak, Mississippi, Mobile County, Safety, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Stop the Sabal Trail pipeline early before it gets harder. Making a bad bet shouldn’t guarantee winning by legal judgment at the expense of landowners, methane pollution, and delayed solar deployment.

Gabriel Tynes wrote for Lagniappe yesterday, Pipeline company intervenes in lawsuit against Corps,

A federal judge has allowed pipeline company Plains Southcap to intervene in a lawsuit between Mobile Baykeeper and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, citing a rule of civil procedure permitting non-parties to step in to protect interests “that may be impaired by the disposition of the suit,” particularly those which existing parties “cannot adequately protect.”

Maybe the court should “adequately protect” the local watershed and drinking water supply from this kind of spill or worse: Continue reading Judge lets pipeline company intervene in lawsuit →

Methane pipeline blew up onto Florida Turnpike next to high school

Corrosion, Economy, Explosion, Florida, Hazards, Health, Leak, Martin County, Safety, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Five years ago a natural gas pipeline blew up between the Florida Turnpike and I-95, flying a 104-foot piece of 18-inch pipe through the air, shutting down both roads, and fortunately missing a high school. NTSB determined it was the fault of the pipeline operator, Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC (FGT).

Ruptured pipeline and Florida Turnpike --WPTV5

The Accident: $606,360 Damage/Clean-Up Cost FGT was written up by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in NTSB/PAB-13/01 of 13 August 2013 for “Damage/Clean-up Cost: $606,360” in this 4 May 2009 incident near Palm City, Florida:

Rupture near Palm City

Probable cause: cracking, failure to manage, SCADA failure The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was environmentally assisted cracking under a disbonded polyethylene coating that remained undetected by the integrity management program. Contributing to the accident was Florida Gas Transmission Company’s failure to include the pipe section that ruptured in the integrity management program. Contributing to the prolonged gas release was the pipeline controller’s inability to detect the rupture because of SCADA system limitations and the configuration of the pipeline.

So NTSB said it was FGT’s fault.

And Florida and Martin County taxpayers had to pay for Continue reading Methane pipeline blew up onto Florida Turnpike next to high school →

Watch Osceola County Commission live at 1:30 PM today

Alabama, Colquitt County, Economy, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hazards, Health, Lee County, Lowndes County, Osceola County, Safety, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you can’t get to Kissimmee today, you can watch it live on the Osceola County Commission’s website. And if you can’t get to that one, the pipelines are coming up at four other county commission meetings in Georgia and Florida from today through next week.

In addition to local landowner Monica Martin, she says the local Thai temple will also speak, Wat Florida Dhammaram, Theravāda Buddhist Temple.

And that’s not all:

Even many FPL allies oppose new methane pipelines, because of water, safety, health, fracking, property values, and other issues, and even county commissions in all three directly affected states (Lee County, Alabama started way back in May 2014) are having to respond to citizen concerns about unnecessary, environmentally damaging, and property-taking methane pipelines. Let’s go straight to solar and wind power!

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Even many FPL allies oppose new methane pipelines

Alabama, Economy, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, Health, Martin County, Orange County, Osceola County, Safety, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

FPL and Spectra could lose, because many organizations and individuals don’t want dirty methane pipelines when we can go straight to conservation, efficiency, and solar and wind power.

Kevin Spear wrote for the Orlando Sentinel 19 January 2014 Pipeline to bring natural gas to state,

Florida Power & Light Co. is on the cusp of getting the pipeline it has long wanted to carry natural gas from elsewhere in the nation to Central and South Florida to run the utility’s power plants.

But the proposed $3.6 billion project, which FPL hopes to start using in 2017, has drawn mixed responses from even groups that are usually allies.

Among them, Audubon Florida lauds natural gas as cleaner than coal when burned by power plants, while Sierra Club Florida opposes the line as likely to ensure that the state becomes further addicted to the fuel at the expense of developing solar power.

Other negative reactions include:

  • Contention by many environmentalists that the use of natural gas on the whole — from drilling to consuming — is as damaging to the environment as the use of coal.
  • Concerns that the route of the proposed pipeline is potentially harmful to Florida wetlands and aquifers.
  • Criticism from some environmental groups that Continue reading Even many FPL allies oppose new methane pipelines →