Category Archives: Hazards

Williston fire and police station relocated due to sinkhole: Sabal Trail wants pipeline through there

January 1, 2015Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hazards, Levy County, Lowndes County, Safety, WaterAlapaha River, collapse, fire, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Levy County, Lowndes County, police, Safety, Santa Fe River, sinkhole, SpectraBusters, Water, Williston, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

In a county already famous for sinkholes, the fire and police department just had to move off of a sinkhole. Sabal Trail wants to poke a yard-wide pipeline on a hundred-foot right of way right through that area, and under rivers, some of which already leak underground. How about solar power for the Sunshine State instead?

GTN News, 11 July 2014, Williston Has A New Sinkhole – UNDER the Police Dept. and Fire Station,

A new sinkhole in Williston, but it’s not forming just anywhere. It’s underneath the police station and fire department. GTN’s Hailey Holloway has more on the problem and what the city is trying to do to prevent a disaster.

Heavy rain getting into the Florida soil is causing the building to shift and crack and buckle.

“Unless by the grace of God it rains everywhere but Williston, we’re going to have issues.”

The problems started Continue reading Williston fire and police station relocated due to sinkhole: Sabal Trail wants pipeline through there →

Christmas Eve Williams pipeline explosion evacuates residents

December 27, 2014Explosion, Pennsylvania, Washington County, West Virginiaexplosion, John S. Quarterman, Pennsylvania, SpectraBusters, Washington County, West Virginia, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

Merry Christmas from the fossil fuel industry!

Amy Wadas wrote for KDKA CBS Pittsburgh 25 December 2014, Pipeline Explosion Pushes Residents Out Of Homes On Christmas Eve,

Neighbors say flames were so bright they light the sky orange. The explosion was also so loud, they say it rocked their homes.

“I went upstairs to change and get ready for bed. I came down and looked out the side window. There’s a big ball of fire blowing up out of that thing,” neighbor Tracy Sampson said.

Tracy Sampson lives right next to Continue reading Christmas Eve Williams pipeline explosion evacuates residents →

SpectraBusters moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al.

December 24, 2014Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, History, Law, LNG, Safety, Wateraccountability, Alabama, Beth Gordon, disaster, Economy, Edison, eminent domain, environment, EPA, FERC, Florida, FPL, Gainesville Sun, Georgia, Hazards, History, insurance, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, New Jersey, Safety, soil, SpectraBusters, taxpayer, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

No domestic need for the fracked methane, which Spectra Energy’s CEO has said it wants to export; no insurance despite Spectra’s track record of safety violations; environmental destruction of water and soil: for these and other reasons SpectraBusters, Inc. has filed a motion to intervene with all three parts of the fracked methane pipeline project including Sabal Trail, using a form of filing that other groups could copy.

How can eminent domain be conferred on Sabal Trail, where there is no benefit to the public, there is zero provision for disaster accountability, and no real attempt at a real environmental impact study? Along with the EPA, a taxpayer funded agency, we’d like answers to these questions that we have posed to FERC for the past year.

Here’s how you or your organization can file a motion to intervene.

Filed with FERC 24 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141224-5069, “Motion to Intervene of SpectraBusters, Inc. under CP15-17, et. al..” Continue reading SpectraBusters moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al. →

Deaths and occupational hazards from fracking

December 21, 2014Fracking, PennsylvaniaAFL-CIO, Colorado, death, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, mortality, occupational hazards, Pennsylvania, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

People die from fracking, both from contamination and on the job.

Deaths from fracking contamination

Cause and effect is notoriously difficult to prove for deaths from chemical or radiation contamination, but here are some that seem very likely:

Sharon Kelly, Desmogblog.com, 24 July 2014, After Rancher’s Death, Calls for Fracking Health Study Grow Stronger,

Last month, Terry Greenwood, a Pennsylvania farmer whose water had been contaminated by fracking waste, died of cancer. He was 66 and the cause of death was a rare form of brain cancer.

His death drew attention Continue reading Deaths and occupational hazards from fracking →

New York State to ban fracking

December 17, 2014Fracking, Hazards, Health, Law, New York, Safety, WaterAir, ban, Fracking, Hazards, Health, John S. Quarterman, Law, New York, ordinance, Safety, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Fossil fuels are going down, as the third most populous U.S. state follows the lead of dozens of its local governments and bans fracking. The sun is rising.

Jesse McKinley, New York Times, today 17 December 2014, Cuomo to Ban Fracking in New York State, Citing Health Risks,

The Cuomo administration announced Wednesday that it would ban hydraulic fracturing in New York State, ending years of uncertainty by concluding that the controversial method of extracting gas from deep underground could contaminate the state’s air and water and pose inestimable public-health risks.

“I cannot support high volume hydraulic fracturing in the great state of New York,” said Howard Zucker, the acting commissioner of health.

That conclusion was delivered Continue reading New York State to ban fracking →

Valdosta resolution against Sabal Trail filed with FERC

December 17, 2014Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, Safety, WaterEconomy, Education, environment, FERC, Georgia, John Gayle, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lowndes County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Valdosta, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

The mayor of Valdosta has filed with FERC a resolution against Sabal Trail, in support of the resolution by Lowndes County, the most populous county on any of the proposed pipeline paths in Georgia. In addition to echoing Lowndes County’s concerns about property rights, safety of school children, lack of benefit to the state of Georgia, the availability of a path to completely bypass Georgia, and public opposition, Valdosta also added a WHEREAS about the Floridan Aquifer, the source of almost all of our drinking water in south Georgia and Florida. See also LAKE videos of Valdosta and Lowndes County passing those resolutions.

Filed with FERC today 17 December 2014, Accession Number: 20141217-5076, “Comment of John Gayle in Docket(s)/Project(s) CP15-17-000 Submission Date: 12/17/2014”, Continue reading Valdosta resolution against Sabal Trail filed with FERC →

Albany, GA Resolution Against Sabal Trail Pipeline and Compressor 2014-10-28

December 10, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, Law, Safety, WaterAirport, Albany, compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, environment, FERC, Flint River, Georgia, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Lamar Reese Elementary School, Law, Martin Luther King Jr., resolution, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Sherwood Christian Academy, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

The day after Dougherty County passed a resolution wanting Sabal Trail’s pipeline and compressor station out of the county and the state, its county seat Albany passed this resolution asking the same.

Here’s PDF and the text is below.

14-R 175
A RESOLUTION
ENTITLED
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE SABAL TRAIL
TRANSMISSION, LLC NATURAL GAS PIPELINE, AS
WELL AS THE ALBANY COMPRESSOR STATION
APPLICATION NO. 2236; REPEALING PRIOR
RESOLUTIONS IN CONFLICT AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.

WHEREAS, Spectra Energy, headquartered in the State of Texas, has proposed developing a 460 mile natural gas pipeline, a portion of which will traverse through Dougherty County, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, this project is typically referred to as SABAL TRAIL TRANSMISSION, LLC (hereinafter “Project”); and

WHEREAS, part of this Project is the installation of an extremely large compressor station, such that the citizens in Albany and Dougherty County will be adversely affected; and

WHEREAS, afier careful consideration, Continue reading Albany, GA Resolution Against Sabal Trail Pipeline and Compressor 2014-10-28 →

FWW petition against FPL fracking

December 7, 2014Florida, Fracking, OklahomaFlorida, Food & Water Watch, FPL, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, NextEra Energy, Oklahoma, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Tampa Bay Times opposes FPL fracking Oklahoma to send fracked methane through the Sabal Trail pipeline, and so can you, through this petition by Food & Water Watch: Tell PSC to deny Florida Power & Light’s request for fracked gas!

Remember, FPL’s parent NextEra Energy is buying into green energy in Hawaii. FPL should do the same in the Sunshine State.

You can also write letters to the editor, like Vickie Machado sent to the Miami Herald Don’t allow fracking in Florida, 6 December 2014, Continue reading FWW petition against FPL fracking →

PSC should reject FPL’s request to explore for natural gas –Tampa Bay Times

December 5, 2014Economy, FL PSC, Florida, Fracking, OklahomaEconomy, FL PSC, Florida, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, Oklahoma, policy, SpectraBusters, Tampa Bay TimesJohn S. Quarterman

Apparently unaware of its own parent NextEra’s green energy move in Hawaii, FPL wants to frack Oklahoma, and meets some resistance from a newspaper back home in Florida.

Editorials: PSC should reject FPL’s request to explore for natural gas,

If the Florida Public Service Commission wants to give electric utilities unprecedented permission to explore for natural gas or gold or other riches, it ought to at least require the utilities’ shareholders to assume the financial risk. Utility customers should not pay all of the costs while the monopolies keep all of the profits, which is exactly what Florida Power & Light wants the PSC to approve.

The editorial elaborates, including this: Continue reading PSC should reject FPL’s request to explore for natural gas –Tampa Bay Times →

Miami Herald notices FPL wants ratepayers to pay to frack Oklahoma

December 2, 2014Ethics, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, Fracking, Law, OklahomaDuke Energy, Ethics, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, FPL, Fracking, FSC, John S. Quarterman, Law, Oklahoma, policy, ratepayers, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Back in May Sabal Trail and FSC argued fracking wasn’t relevant to their pipelines. How can they argue that now that FPL wants to frack frack Oklahoma for methane for those pipelnes proposed to gouge through Alabama, Florida, and Georgia?

Mary Ellen Klas, Miami Herald, 1 December 2014, FPL asks permission to drill for natural gas, Continue reading Miami Herald notices FPL wants ratepayers to pay to frack Oklahoma →