Category Archives: Politics

Ask your elected and appointed public officials to oppose Sabal Trail

May 23, 2015FERC, Georgia, Law, PoliticsAustin Scott, Casey Cagle, David Perdue, Eric Cornwell, FERC, GA EPD, GDOT, Georgia, Greenlaw, John S. Quarterman, Johnny Isakson, Judson H. Turner, Law, Nathan Deal, Politics, Russell R. McMurry, Sanford Bishop, SpectraBusters, Ted Turner, Trip AddisonJohn S. Quarterman

After you’ve signed the petition to GA Gov. Nathan Deal, you can call or write him and other state, federal, and local elected and appointed officials and ask them to oppose the unnecessary, destructive, and dangerous Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline. Georgia is the fastest growing solar market in the country, and the Georgia legislature just passed unanimously and the Governor signed a law to facilitate financing solar power. Help the pipeline shrink away from the Georgia sunshine!

State

The great state of Georgia should protect its citizens from this invader from Texas that threatens our water, our land, and our way of life.

Governor

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Petition Georgia Governor Nathan Deal: Oppose Sabal Trail like you oppose the Palmetto Pipeline

May 21, 2015Georgia, Law, PoliticsDuke Energy, FPL, Georgia, Governor, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, KMI, Law, Nathan Deal, NextEra Energy, Palmetto Project, Politics, Push Back the Pipeline, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Please sign this petition to Please Ban The Sabal Trail Fracked Gas Pipeline.

Congratulations again to Push Back the Pipeline for convincing GA Gov. Deal and Lt. Gov. Cagle to oppose Kinder Morgan’s Palmetto Project and the Georgia Dept. of Transportation to deny KMI a permit.

Now it’s time for the same for the Sabal Trail Pipeline. The permitting process is different, but opposition from the state of Georgia could stop this invader, too. Continue reading Petition Georgia Governor Nathan Deal: Oppose Sabal Trail like you oppose the Palmetto Pipeline →

USA Today – Gas Pipeline Companies Feel the Heat of Opposition

May 18, 2015Economy, Law, LNG, PoliticsAmerica's Natural Gas Alliance, Atlantic Coast Pipeline, FERC, LNG export, LNG pipeline industry, pipeline opposition, protestDebra Johnson

As reported in mainstream media outlet USA Today, opposition to LNG pipelines is causing the natural gas pipeline industry headaches.

Industry executives say they need additional laws to allow them to gouge pipelines across our water and property so that they may export their gas to other countries solely profiting their industry. There is no public necessity and/or need for these pipelines.

To quote Diane Leopold, the president of Dominion Energy, Continue reading USA Today – Gas Pipeline Companies Feel the Heat of Opposition →

Sabal Trail is Bull: see them sue a landowner in Moultrie May 28th 2015

May 16, 2015Economy, Georgia, Law, Politicsbull, china shop, Economy, eminent domain, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, lawsuit, Moultrie, PoetsLoveBirds, Politics, pronghorn antelope, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Spectra may bull through pronghorn antelope in Texas, but suing a Georgia Centennial Family Farm provokes some resistance.

PoetsLoveBirds, 14 May 2015, Spectra Energy: Like a Bull in a China Shop,

Spectra Energy is a Fortune 500 company based in Houston, Texas. They say that they are one of North America’s leading natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil infrastructure companies. Their claim to fame — It builds pipelines to ship natural gas. It builds storage facilities to hold natural gas. It distributes natural gas. …

But wait, let’s hear from Spectra Energy. On their spiffy website, sporting Continue reading Sabal Trail is Bull: see them sue a landowner in Moultrie May 28th 2015 →

TPP fast track loses Senate vote

May 12, 2015Law, LNG, PoliticsCongress, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Politics, Senate, SpectraBusters, TPP, Trans-Pacific PartnershipJohn S. Quarterman

Pipeline-pushing members of Congress explicitly promote the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as a way to authorize more fracked methane export, which would promote more pipelines. Sabal Trail may say its gas isn’t for export, but those three already-authorized LNG export operations right where it goes in Florida suggest otherwise. Fortunately, TPP just lost a U.S. Senate vote for fast track, so now at least it can’t be pushed through without proper debate. If it’s so good for us, let’s see TPP declassified and the full text released to the public now.

Carter Dougherty and Heidi Przybyla, Sydney Morning Herald, 13 May 2013, Trans-Pacific Partnership: Senate Democrats revolt against Obama trade bill, Continue reading TPP fast track loses Senate vote →

Sabal Trail as environmental and property rights issue @ LCDP 2015-06-01

May 11, 2015Environment, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, Politics, Watereminent domain, environment, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, LCDP, Lowndes County, Lowndes County Democratic Party, property rights, SAVE, SpectraBusters, Valdosta, WACE, Water, WWALSJohn S. Quarterman

SpectraBusters board member Debra Johnson will be a panelist at the June 1st Lowndes County Democratic Party monthly meeting about environmental issues and property rights, 6PM 1 June 2015, at the Lowndes County Board of Elections office, 2808 North Oak Street, Valdosta, Georgia. This topic obviously includes among other issues the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline. Other panelists will be from the Lowndes County Commission, WWALS, WACE, and SAVE.

Anyone can speak up from the audience, and local TV covered Continue reading Sabal Trail as environmental and property rights issue @ LCDP 2015-06-01 →

Kinder Morgan campaign contributions to GA Gov. Deal and Lt. Gov. Cagle

May 5, 2015Economy, Georgia, LNG, PoliticsCasey Cagle, Economy, El Paso Pipeline Partners, Elba Island, EPB, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, KMI, LNG, Nathan Deal, Politics, Sabal Trail Transmission, SONAT, Southern Natural Gas, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Kinder Morgan contributed to the campaigns of Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, and to numerous other elected officials, similar to Spectra Energy PAC and many other pipeline companies or associated political action committees. Could this have something to do with how Georgia state officials are not being very helpful to the citizens who overwhelmingly oppose both Kinder Morgan’s proposed Palmetto petroleum products pipeline through eastern Georgia and Spectra’s proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline through southwest Georgia? Could it explain why the Georgia government seems to be treating both pipelines as if they were public-private partnerships with the state?

Searching Georgia Campaign Finance Commission campaign records show Kinder Morgan (KMI) subsidiary Southern Natural Gas (SONAT) contributed to a whole bunch of people, including Casey Cagle: Continue reading Kinder Morgan campaign contributions to GA Gov. Deal and Lt. Gov. Cagle →

Voters in birthplace of fracking ban it, Denton, TX sued

November 6, 2014Fracking, Politics, TexasBarnett Shale, Denton, Denton County, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, lawsuit, referendum, SpectraBusters, TexasJohn S. Quarterman

If the birthplace of fracking can’t live with it, who can? How about nobody?

Marice Richter, Reuters, 5 November 2014, Texas city bans fracking in its birthplace, court battles loom,

“Denton, Texas is where hydraulic fracturing was invented,” said Bruce Baizel, Earthworks energy program director. “If this place in the heart of the oil and gas industry can’t live with fracking, then who can?”

Fracking was pioneered at the Barnett shale formation where Denton is located. Exxon Mobil’s XTO unit honed its shale expertise in the natural gas-rich Barnett.

And the Barnett Shale is one of the sources of Spectra’s fracked methane that might go through the Sabal Trail pipeline. Continue reading Voters in birthplace of fracking ban it, Denton, TX sued →

Sabal Trail to TECO to Jaxport for LNG export?

October 18, 2014Alabama, Duval County, EPA, Ethics, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, LNG, PoliticsAlabama, campaign, contribution, Duval County, EPA, Ethics, FGT, Florida, FPL, Fracking, Georgia, Gulfstream, Jacksonville, Jaxport, John S. Quarterman, LNG, LNG export, Nathan Deal, Politics, Rick Scott, Robert Bentley, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sempra Energy, SONAT, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Tampa, TECOJohn S. Quarterman

Marcellus Shale fracked methane through Atlantic Sunrise to Transco to Sabal Trail to TECO to Jaxport for LNG export? And maybe an explanation for why Sempra Energy, like Spectra Energy, donated to both GA Gov. Nathan Deal’s and AL Gov. Robert Bentley’s re-election campaigns. Sempra apparently wants to export Marcellus Shale gas from Jacksonville, and Sabal Trail is the proposed conduit for that through Alabama and Georgia to Florida.

John Burr wrote for Jacksonville Business Journal 10 March 2014, TECO Peoples Gas looks to expand natural gas pipeline to Jacksonville, Continue reading Sabal Trail to TECO to Jaxport for LNG export? →

Rosalynn Carter at Lowndes County Courthouse 6PM Thu 9 Oct 2014

October 8, 2014Georgia, Lowndes County, PoliticsGeorgia, Governor, Jason Carter, John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, Nathan Deal, Politics, Rosalynn Carter, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will speak in support of Jason Carter for Governor of Georgia at the Lowndes County Courthouse in Valdosta, Georgia, 6PM Thursday 9 October 2014.

The last time Jason Carter was in Valdosta, 1 July 2014, he was informed by a number of SpectraBusters about the Sabal Trail pipeline, its hazards, and its lack of benefits for Georgians.

The venue in July was a speech to the Lowndes County Democratic Party which opposes that pipeline, as do many organizations in Lowndes County, south Georgia, and elsewhere (see for example Dr. Michael G. Noll, president of WACE, pictured with Jason Carter).

Others held No Pipeline signs and talked to other candidates. Pictured below are Danielle Jordan (then president of S.A.V.E. at VSU) and Glenn Ritchie talking to Daniel Blackman, candidate for Georgia Public Service Commissioner.

At that July meeting, I spoke directly with Jason Carter about the pipeline. Continue reading Rosalynn Carter at Lowndes County Courthouse 6PM Thu 9 Oct 2014 →