Category Archives: Safety

Consider Panhandle route: page 2 of Dougherty County Sabal Trail resolution

300x391 Resolution page 2, in Resolution No. 14-019 pipeline and compressor station, by Dougherty County Commission, for SpectraBusters.org, 5 November 2014 The page FERC lost of the Dougherty County resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline asks FERC to move it completely out of Georgia:

SECTION III We ask that serious consideration and analysis be given to the alternative route through the Panhandle of Florida, a copy of which is attached hereto.

The missing page is now integrated into the previous post. Thanks to Dougherty County Attorney Spencer Lee for sending it. And below is that Panhandle route, as filed by Sabal Trail with FERC in November 2013. Continue reading Consider Panhandle route: page 2 of Dougherty County Sabal Trail resolution

VSU Spectator covers pipeline protest at Valdosta Sabal Trail office

It’s time for more counties to follow Dougherty County’s lead and pass resolutions against the Sabal Trail pipeline. Local protests in Valdosta and citizens speaking before local governments emphasize that point.

Brittney Penland, VSU Spectator, Page 2, 6 November 2014, Students, faculty protest future pipeline,

300x334 Students protesting, in Students, faculty protest future pipeline, by Brittney Penland, for SpectraBusters.org, 6 November 2014 Protestors gathered on Oct. 31 at the corner of Park Avenue and Patterson Street to argue against the building of the Sabal Trail gas pipeline.

The protesters were associated with VSU’s Students Against Violating the Environment and Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy. The costumes they were dressed in for Halloween attracted honking and “thumbs up’s” from those driving by.

Another protest is scheduled for today at Continue reading VSU Spectator covers pipeline protest at Valdosta Sabal Trail office

We’ve had enough of these spoiled pipeline brats stealing off of our lands. –Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en nation

“Our lands, our final say. No pipeline.” –Freda Huson, Unist’ot’en spokeperson to Enbridge.

They’re in Canada and they never ceded their pre-existing rights to their clan territory. But we’re in the U.S. and we never ceded our rights in fee simple to our own land, water, and air, nor did we approve our taxes going to clean up any sinkholes, leaks, or explosions. I can’t necessarily endorse all their tactics, but I can say beaver is tasty and I’ve found seizing equipment that is illegally trespassing to be useful in the past.

AJ+, YouTube, 5 November 2014, How To Stop An Oil And Gas Pipeline: The Unist’ot’en Camp Resistance,

Over the past four years, Continue reading We’ve had enough of these spoiled pipeline brats stealing off of our lands. –Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en nation

FERC lost half of Dougherty County Sabal Trail resolution

Update 2014-11-11: Thanks to Spencer Lee, Dougherty County Attorney, for sending the second page of the resolution, which does ask FERC to move the pipeline completely out of Georgia; see below. 2014-12-11: PDF of the two pages of the resolution and PDF of the entire FERC filing with the missing page interpolated.

FERC managed to lose the actual resolution on the second page of Dougherty County Commission’s FERC filing of today, but the WHEREASes are enough to see that DoCo says

….the health and welfare of our community will be severely compromised by the construction ofthe pipeline and any associated compressor stations within Dougherty County; and

WHEREAS, it is clear to the Board that, to this date, Sabal Trail has not articulated a justifiable need for the pipeline as it traverses Dougherty County.

Here’s a PDF on SpectraBusters.org of today’s DoCo filing, in case FERC manages to lose that, too.

Here’s the WHEREAS page while we’re waiting on FERC to find the lost page, like it eventually did for Bill Kendall’s letter about lack of need, false pretense, and duress. Maybe FERC just can’t handle the truth?

14-019

A RESOLUTION
ENTITLED
A RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO THE 465 MILE INTERSTATE NATURAL GAS
PIPELINE PROPOSED BY SABAL TRANSMISSISON, LLC AS SAID PIPELINE
TRAVERSES THROUGH DOUGHERTY COUNTY; REPEALING RESOLUTIONS OR PARTS
OF RESOLUTIONS IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Continue reading FERC lost half of Dougherty County Sabal Trail resolution

Halloween Protest Against Sabal Trail in Valdosta, GA

Facebook event by Dr. Michael Noll:

Friday at 4:00pm – 5:00 pm
2110 N Patterson Street

Zombies, monsters, ghosts, and inhuman pipelines join forces to STOP Sabal Trail Pipeline!

That’s in Valdosta, Georgia, in front of the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline office.

-jsq

Sabal Trail PR countered by actual information in the Suwannee Democrat

On the same day, the Suwannee Democrat posted a fluff piece from a PR firm for Sabal Trail and actual reporting from the recent Open House in Jasper, FL that gives some answers Sabal Trail did not. They’re both well worth reading, the first for its absolute certainty of safety, cleanliness, and no export, and the second for its actual evidence of hazards, record of safety failures, and already-authorized LNG export operations. Oh, and Ms. Grover admitting route changes (caused by objections) blew her end-of-October filing date. The second for opponents attempting to get answers from Sabal Trail and having to get them from other protesters who have done the research Sabal Trail denies can be done. The “epitome of ignorance and greed” indeed. Please go read. Continue reading Sabal Trail PR countered by actual information in the Suwannee Democrat

Dougherty County passed a resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline

Sabal Trail has not met its burden of proof of need, and its pipeline would be hazardous to environment and safety, resolved the Dougherty County Commission Monday. And now news media call it the “the pipeline fight” and the “controversial pipeline”. Visitors to Albany tell me people now bring up the pipeline unprompted in conversation. Last week’s very bad media week for Sabal Trail continues to get worse this week.

Franklin White, WFXL, 27 October 2014, Another step in the pipeline fight,

Officials say in the past year they’ve written four letters to Sabal Trails on behalf of Dougherty County citizens and businesses.

They say after the September meeting when Sabal Trail officials came to Dougherty County to explain why they chose SWGA to build the pipeline, County Commissioners found pipeline would do more harm than good.

Dougherty County Attorney Spencer Lee says, “they found there is no need for it and it’s likely to harm the environment and our socio-economic and culture activities.”

Continue reading Dougherty County passed a resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline

Sabal Trail surveyed without permission –Beth Gordon on WCBJ TV

Beth Gordon told a Gainesville, FL TV reporter 1500 feet from her home is still too close for the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline. And since they moved it off her property, they won’t entertain any compensation. Same for you, if a pipeline blows up in your county or state like one did in neighboring Gilchrist County, Florida in 2012: you get no compensation, but your taxes may have to pay for emergency responders, hospitals, etc.

Jesse Pagan reported Wednesday 22 October 2014 for WCJB TV, Natural Gas Pipeline Concerns, Levy County,

“It would destroy the whole way of life here in Levy County.”

“I never gave them permission, yet I came home one day and they’d cut into my locked gate. I don’t know how they did it. I think they climbed over my fence. There were surveyor stakes all over my property.

First they wanted to put it on my property. Now they’ve moved it onto the farm next door.

The reporter said that’s about 1500 feet from her property, “Too close for her comfort.”

“And because the property isn’t physically right on our property, they will not entertain payment for it.

The reporter mentioned her petition to the Florida Public Service Commission (FL-PSC) Continue reading Sabal Trail surveyed without permission –Beth Gordon on WCBJ TV

Major fire at Didcot natural gas plant in Oxfordshire, England

Usually it’s pipelines that explode, but 20 firetrucks rushed to a methane power plant in Didcot, Oxon, tonight. Somebody remind me: why are we building more of these when solar power is cheaper, faster, cleaner, and never leaks or explodes?

BBC 19 October 2014, Major fire at gas-fired Didcot B power station, Continue reading Major fire at Didcot natural gas plant in Oxfordshire, England

Stop this Pipeline –Columbia Paper not buying the script

Update 28 Sep 2014: With details from Bill Huston. The main point remains:

“Supporting the pipeline proposal as it stands amounts to surrendering our future to the petroleum industry.” That about sums it up, both for Kinder Morgan’s Constition Pipeline Northeast Direct project (NED) through Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, and for Spectra and FPL’s Sabal Trail pipeline through Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

Parry Teasdale wrote for The Columbia Paper of Ghent, NY 25 September 2014, EDITORIAL: Stop this pipeline,

The proposed pipeline would reportedly run beneath 55 private properties in Columbia County if it’s approved by federal regulators. The property owners would have to grant rights of way to the company. Neither the towns nor the county could intervene.

The editorial doesn’t really buy that last: it laster asks local governments to intervene.

Opponents say that property values along and nearby Continue reading Stop this Pipeline –Columbia Paper not buying the script