Category Archives: Hazards

Spectra’s Canadian negligence and Fort Nelson leak and flare

July 15, 2015British Columbia, LeakAitken Creek, British Columbia, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, John S. Quarterman, leak, National Energy Board, NEB, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

If Spectra was so negligent the Canadian FERC equivalent had to threaten to shut down a natural gas plant to get cooperation about leaks and flares caused by negligence, and still fined Spectra, why should we believe Spectra’s claims of silence or safety for its invading Albany, Georgia Sabal Trail compressor station?

Canada’s National Energy Board fined Spectra Energy Transmission $88,000 on 22 January 2015 for numerous incidents of negligence, failing to comply with national and internal safety procedures, and

The company failed to take reasonable care to ensure safety hazards had been properly identified.

Get this:

However, despite previous findings of similar non-compliances at other facilities (Aitken Creek Gas Plant and Fort Nelson North Processing Facility), the company failed to take preventative action in advance of the NEB inspection at the Dawson Creek location.

Spectra didn’t even bother to clean up its act when it knew inspectors were coming.

Speaking of Fort Nelson, Continue reading Spectra’s Canadian negligence and Fort Nelson leak and flare →

Natural gas pipeline carried oil which leaked: owned by a Spectra company

July 14, 2015FERC, Leak, TexasBritish Columbia, corrosion, DCP Midstream, Duke Energy, Ector County, FERC, Greg Ebel, Gregory L. Ebel, John S. Quarterman, leak, National Energy Board, NEB, oil, SpectraBusters, Texas, West OdessaJohn S. Quarterman

You don’t know when a natural gas pipeline might be carrying oil. You do know pipelines corrode and leak, and this one did. It’s owned by DCP Midstream, but guess who is a director there and which company owns half of it!

Odessa American, 14 April 2015, Crews begin oil spill cleanup in West Odessa,

Crews with DCP Midstream and the Ector County Environmental Office are assessing an oil spill that took place Tuesday afternoon in West Odessa.

Environmental office officials said they were called to Moss Avenue and West Third Street about oil coming from the ground.

The low-pressure pipeline, according to Scott McMeans, supervisor at DCP Midstream, was a natural gas line that leaked due to corrosion causing oil to flow out.

McMeans said that sometimes Continue reading Natural gas pipeline carried oil which leaked: owned by a Spectra company →

Sierra Club FERC comment submission form for Sabal Trail Albany Compressor

July 14, 2015Compressor, Dougherty County, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, LNG, Safety, WaterAlbany, compressor, Dougherty County, environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, Jerry Funderburk, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Roger Marietta, Safety, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

A FERC comment submission form appears along with a letter by Roger Marietta, Albany City Councilman, in the Georgia Sierra Club newsletter based on the recent Albany Herald silent protest story about Spectra Energy of Houston Texas’ invading Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline and its Albany compressor station. Excerpt:

It is clear that the Sabal Trail Pipeline will destroy our local environment, and is hazardous to private property, health, and the local economy. The evidence has shown that this massive pipeline is not needed; Continue reading Sierra Club FERC comment submission form for Sabal Trail Albany Compressor →

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 →

Stopping fracking means stopping pipelines: Yoko Ono et al. in the New York Times

July 10, 2015FERC, Fracking, Hazards, New York, PennsylvaniaCompressor Free Franklin, Constitution Pipeline, FERC, Food and Water Watch, Fracking, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Josh Fox, New York, New York Times, Obama, Pennsylvania, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sane Energy Project, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Stop the Pipeline, Yoko OnoJohn S. Quarterman

Gasland posted on facebook a picture of an ad against fracking, pipelines, and LNG export in the New York Times 9 July 2015 by Yoko Ono, Gasland, Food and Water Watch, and many other groups. You can sign onto that letter here.

Everything it says applies as much to Alabama, Georgia, and Florida and the Williams-Spectra-FPL Transco-Sabal Trail-FSC fracked methane pipeline chain as it does to New York and Williams’ “Constitution Pipeline”. Here are a few excerpts:

By now the whole world knows that Fracking is bad for your health! It is bad for communities and it is bad for the climate. That is why I am so glad that New York State and Governor Andrew Cuomo banned fracking.

But now we are facing the gas industry who are still trying to Frack New York. The fracked gas industry wants to build a pipeline that would cut across New York state like a scar that never heals. It goes by the ridiculous and Orwellian name “The Constitution Pipeline”. How dare they!

We cannot allow another poisonous plan for our beautiful state that we all love.

We must stop fracking, which means we must not transport fracked gas across our state where it is headed for foreign export markets. The danger to our homes, is also Continue reading Stopping fracking means stopping pipelines: Yoko Ono et al. in the New York Times →

Spectra already lost at FERC once; could also lose at NRC

July 7, 2015FERC, Hazards, History, LNG, New York, Rhode Island, SafetyAIM, Algonquin Gas Transmission, Algonquin Incremental Market, earthquake, fault, FERC, fire, Hazards, History, Hudson River, Indian Point, John Peconom, John S. Quarterman, LNG, New York, NRC, nuclear, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, oil, Providence, Rhode Island, Safety, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

FERC previously denied a Spectra pipeline, and now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) may prevent one. After three months of asking, John Peconom of FERC divulged how many pipelines FERC had ever denied: two, of which one was for a pipeline from an LNG site in Providence, Rhode Island, proposed by KeySpan LNG, L.P. and Algonquin Gas Transmission LLC, and denied by FERC 5 July 2005. According to Spectra Energy:

Continue reading →

Don’t let FERC and Spectra AIM fracked gas at Indian Point Nuke: petition

July 6, 2015FERC, Hazards, New YorkAIM, Algonquin Incremental Market, FERC, Hazards, Indian Point, John S. Quarterman, New York, nuclear, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

What’s worse than a nuclear power plant with forged safety documents on a fault line that catches fire and leaks oil into the Hudson River? A fracked methane pipeline right next to it, by a Houston company with a long rap sheet of safety violations! Please follow the link, sign this petition, and share widely.

Petition to New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Andrew Cuomo, Reject Siting of Massive New Spectra Gas Pipeline Next to Indian Point Nuclear Facility

And don’t forget to sign the Petition to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal: Oppose Sabal Trail like you oppose the Palmetto Pipeline.

-jsq

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 →

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 →