Hamilton County takes exception with Sabal Trail

March 15, 2016Florida, Hamilton County, WaterChris Mericle, Debra Johnson, sinkholes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USACEDebra Johnson

Tonight, Tuesday March 15, 2016, Hamilton County unanimously voted to request that the Army Corps of Engineers perform an independent study on site concerning the ommisions and discrepancies contained in the final environmental study that FERC and Florida DEP used to issue the permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline.

These ommisions in the EIS were discovered by Mr Chris Mericle when comparing a geological study by local geologist Dennis Price with the final EIS Sabal Trail study submitted to FERC on which FERC based the permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline.

Hamilton County was prompted to write this letter after attending the Suwannee BOCC workshop a few weeks ago where members of both boards hiked the Suwannee River crossing and saw for themselves the numerous sinkholes in and around the pipeline route. A route that Sabal Trail claimed the closet sinkhole was 750′ from the pipeline route.

One Hamilton County commissioner asked if Suwannee County was still taking an unheard of neutral stance on this for export fracked gas pipeline.

Thank you to all of the commissioners of Hamilton County for taking action to protect their constituents and our sole source of water – the Floridan Aquifer.

Debra J.

Dougherty County upset over eminent domain threat from Sabal Trail

March 15, 2016Compressor, Economy, Georgia, Law, Watercompressor, Doughert County, Economy, eminent domain, final offer, Georgia, Harry James, John S. Quarterman, Law, Percosin Canal, Percosin Lane, Sabal Trail, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Dougherty County actually read what Sabal Trail is offering and is horrified.

Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 14 March 2016, Dougherty County officials upset over Sabal Trail ‘threat’: Pipeline builder makes ‘final offer’ for land before it says it will resort to eminent domain,

Dougherty County commissioners weren’t exactly pleased Continue reading Dougherty County upset over eminent domain threat from Sabal Trail →

Albany, GA caves to Sabal Trail 4-3

March 15, 2016Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, Georgia, Law, WaterAlbany, compressor, Dougherty County, easement, Economy, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lily Pond Road, Roger Marietta, SpectraBusters, Terrell County, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

One vote could have stopped this. One vote could vote out one or more of the four who voted for. Thanks to Roger Marietta for fighting on.

Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 15 March 2016, Albany city commissioners agree to Sabal Trail easement payment: Pipeline company to pay city $165,000 settlement for five easements,

The Albany City Commission voted 4-3 at a called meeting Tuesday morning to accept a $165,000 payment from Sabal Trail Transmissions for five easements on city-owned property.

Ward IV City Commissioner Roger Marietta suggested Continue reading Albany, GA caves to Sabal Trail 4-3 →

Sabal Trail on agenda, Hamilton Co., FL, 6PM tomorrow, 2016-03-15

March 14, 2016Florida, Hamilton County, Wateraquifer, Florida, Hamilton County, John S. Quarterman, karst, limestone, Sabal Trail Transmission, sinkholes, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, springs, Suwannee River, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Sabal Trail is back on the agenda for the Hamilton County, Florida Commissioners tomorrow evening. Please go if you’re in the area.

When: 6PM Tuesday
March 15th 2016

Where: Room 112, Courthouse,
207 Northeast First St.
Jasper, Florida

Here’s the agenda.

-jsq

Strip Sabal Trail easements from SR 954 in the Georgia House of Representatives

March 11, 2016Georgia, Solaraquifer, conservation, FERC, Floridan Aquifer, Georgia, House of Representatives, John S. Quarterman, north Florida, Okapilco Creek, pipeline, river, Sabal Trail, Santa Fe River, solar, south Georgia, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, SR 954, Suwannee River, watershed, Withlacoochee River, WWALS, WWALS Watershed CoalitionJohn S. Quarterman

You can help stop ~~eminent domain~~ easements for Sabal Trail from passing the Georgia statehouse! (PDF handout)

Follow this link for all the Georgia statehouse members in the pipeline path. Or type in your ZIP code here to find your Georgia House member: http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

If you don’t live in Georgia, you probably know somebody who does, so you can ask them to call their state rep.

There’s a longer writeup here.

Shoestring Energy Justice Network and Dimock families defeat mighty Cabot Oil & Gas in $4.2 million anti-fracking lawsuit win

March 11, 2016Economy, Ethics, Fracking, Hazards, Health, Law, Pennsylvania, SafetyAlex Lotorto, Allison Petryk, Cabot Oil & Gas, Dimock, Economy, Energy Justice Network, Ethics, Fracking, Hazards, Health, John S. Quarterman, Law, Pennsylvania, Safety, SpectraBusters, Susquehanna CountyJohn S. Quarterman

Here’s why Sabal Trail and all the other fossil fuel profiteers avoid jury trials at all costs: when twelve peers of the afflicted decide, the frackers lose. But money isn’t enough. That land and water is permanently poisoned. There’s only one real solution: end fracking, to end all its new pipelines, compressor stations, bomb trains, and LNG export.

Sharon Kelly, Desmog Blog, 10 March 2016, BREAKING: $4.2 Million Jury Verdict Against Cabot Oil & Gas in Dimock, PA Water Contamination Lawsuit,

A Pennsylvania jury handed down a $4.2 million verdict in a lawsuit centering on water contamination from negligent shale gas drilling in Dimock, PA, a tiny town that made international headlines for its flammable and toxic drinking water.

The defendant in the lawsuit, Cabot Oil and Gas Corp., had strenuously denied Continue reading Shoestring Energy Justice Network and Dimock families defeat mighty Cabot Oil & Gas in $4.2 million anti-fracking lawsuit win →

Strom Crystal River LNG export approval 2014-10-21

March 6, 2016Citrus County, FE, FERC, Florida, Fracking, LNG, StromCitrus County, Crystal River, Department of Energy, DoE, Duke Energy, FE, FERC, FGT, Florida, Florida Gas Transmission, Fracking, Free Trade, Gulf of Mexico, in-service date, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Office of Fossil Energy, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, StromJohn S. Quarterman

Strom can ramp up its LNG export to the Gulf from Crystal River an order of magnitude with its initial units, and then add more units, all without any further approval by anybody, says this Order from the U.S. DoE Office of Fossil Energy, which also appears to permit bomb trains shipping LNG anywhere in Florida, or maybe even other states, with some of the fracked methane probably coming from Sabal Trail if built. This FE Order was issued 21 October 2014, one month to the day before Sabal Trail filed in the FERC formal process in 21 November 2014. Yet not a word was said about Strom or any other LNG export by FERC or Sabal Trail in any of the FERC Scoping Meetings I went to, as I pointed out at the one 1 October 2015 in Lake City, Florida.

FE is even more a rubberstamp regulatory-captured lapdog of the fossil fuel industry than is FERC, and Strom is setting up to require no further approvals by them or anybody else: Continue reading Strom Crystal River LNG export approval 2014-10-21 →

Sabal Trail wants to proceed

March 5, 2016Florida, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, Marion County, Safety, WaterBrian Fahrenthold, Florida, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lowndes County, Marion County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

In a letter Sabal Trail sent to multiple Florida county commissions, the most important point is “We… are on track to place the pipeline in-service by May 1, 2017.” Important to Spectra Energy, because if they slip that date they could forfeit a $200 million bond and possibly the contract for the project, and they’re having some problems with that, since despite what they imply they do not have all the permits they need.

Then there are those glossed over in passing, such as “with certain conditions” and Continue reading Sabal Trail wants to proceed →

Resolution against Sabal Trail pipeline –Groveland, FL 2014-04-21

March 4, 2016FERC, Florida, Lake County, Polk County, Sumter County, WaterCity Council, FERC, Florida, Floridan Aquifer, Green Swamp, Groveland, John S. Quarterman, Lake County, Polk County, SpectraBusters, Sumter County, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

In April 2014 the Groveland, Florida City Council unanimously voted to ask FERC to move the Sabal Trail pipeline off of private property and the Green Swamp and onto Florida state lands.

The vote is recorded in their minutes of April 21, 2014:

Resolution 2014-04-06: Sabal Trail Transmission Line
Action: Motion to approve
Moved by Vice Mayor James Smith, Seconded by Council Member John Griffin.
Vote: Motion carried by unanimous roll call vote (summary: Yes = 5).
Motion approved.

The text of the resolution is in their agenda packet: Continue reading Resolution against Sabal Trail pipeline –Groveland, FL 2014-04-21 →

Judge denies KMI appeal for Palmetto Pipeline

March 1, 2016Environment, Georgia, Lawenvironment, Fulton County, Georgia, Greenlaw, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, KMI, Law, Palmetto Pipeline, petroleum products, Push Back the Pipeline, SpectraBusters, Steve CaleyJohn S. Quarterman

Yay Savannah Riverkeeper, Greenlaw, and Push Back the Pipeline! Kinder Morgan go home to Houston: you can’t even sell your Palmetto Project. And take Spectra’s Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline with you.

JoAnn Merrigan, WSAV3, 1 March 2016, Judge says NO to Kinder Morgan appeal on Palmetto Pipeline,

The Savannah Riverkeeper says score one for property rights in Georgia when it comes to the proposed Palmetto Pipeline and the possible use of eminent domain.

A Fulton County Superior Court judge today ruled against Kinder Morgan (the company planning the pipeline.)…

Now the Riverkeeper reports that “after months of deliberation however, the judge has disagreed and that Tuesday’s decision spells relief for Continue reading Judge denies KMI appeal for Palmetto Pipeline →