Tag Archives: Beth Gordon

Confirmed: Resolution against Sabal Trail today at Suwannee County Commission 2015-11-17

Compressor, Florida, Suwannee County, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Suwannee County residents please come speak, and everyone else please come be seen (you can speak, too). Facebook event. Come defend property rights, water, and air in Suwannee County from the Sabal Trail invader, and that helps defend where you are, too.

When: 6PM Tuesday 17 November 2015

Where: 218 Parshley Street Southwest, Live Oak, Florida, 32064

2015-11-03--suwbocc

From the draft minutes of the Nov. 3rd meeting Continue reading Confirmed: Resolution against Sabal Trail today at Suwannee County Commission 2015-11-17 →

SpectraBusters moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al.

Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, History, Law, LNG, Safety, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

300x222 All three dockets selected, in How to intervene, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 17 December 2014 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. →

Sabal Trail surveyed without permission –Beth Gordon on WCBJ TV

Alachua County, Ethics, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, Law, Levy County, LNG, PHMSA, Safety, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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 →

Gone national and press conference this morning: FL Gov. Rick Scott pipeline share ownership

Economy, Environment, EPA, Ethics, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, Orange County, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gone viral and now a big issue in the Florida governor’s race: Broward Bulldog, Tampa Bay Times, Time.com, Florida Democratic Party, WFTV, YouTube, Rachel Maddow’s producer, and Climate Progress, all from the Miami Herald story revealing FL Gov. Rick Scott owned shares in Spectra Energy before his appointees approved its Sabal Trail pipeline. Maybe you’d like to mention this corruption scandal at the Climate Rally and EPA hearings in Atlanta Tuesday next week. And there’s a press conference 11AM this morning at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida.

Tampa Bay Times picked up 21 July 2014 in The FPL-Rick Scott investment connection what Dan Christensen wrote for the Broward Bulldog 21 July 2014, Rick Scott privately profited in FPL pipeline deal approved by governor’s appointees,

Before the story, here’s the governor’s whole statement: Continue reading Gone national and press conference this morning: FL Gov. Rick Scott pipeline share ownership →

FL Gov. Scott owned Spectra stock before his appointees backed Sabal Trail pipeline

Environment, EPA, Ethics, FL PSC, Florida, Law, LNG, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rick Scott owned or owned stock in both existing and the proposed new fracked methane pipelines to Florida, according to a reporter, which could explain why when FPL said “frog” Scott’s appointees jumped to approve the Sabal Trail Pipeline. This doesn’t seem right to SpectraBusters president Beth Gordon. Does it seem right to you?

Dan Christensen wrote for the Miami Herald 21 July 2014, Gov. Scott had stake in pipeline firm whose $3 billion venture he and his appointees backed,

“The proposed project will need state regulatory and governmental agencies to understand and support this project,” said the proposal submitted by FPL vice president Sam Forrest.

Gov. Scott understood. In May and June 2013, he signed into law two bills designed to speed up permitting for what came to be known as the Sabal Trail Transmission — a controversial, 474-mile natural gas pipeline that’s to run from Alabama and Georgia to a hub in Central Florida, south of Orlando.

Five months later, Continue reading FL Gov. Scott owned Spectra stock before his appointees backed Sabal Trail pipeline →

FPL’s hometown newspaper about Sabal Trail pipeline opposition

Economy, FERC, Florida, Hazards, Levy County, , , , , , , , , , ,

The Palm Beach Post is located 15 miles from FPL’s headquarters in Juno Beach, and right at the end of the extra pipeline FPL built from the end of the Transco -> Sabal -> FSC pipeline the last few miles to the sea, which would make LNG export even more convenient.

Susan Salisbury wrote yesterday for the Palm Beach Post, FPL’s proposed $3.5 billion natural gas pipeline faces opposition,

Beth Gordon, a former Wellington resident, moved to Williston in rural Levy County five years ago. She and her husband own a 32-acre horse farm there.

“It’s as close to perfect as it gets. Except now I’m being forced to accept an outrageous risk that I want no part of,” said Gordon, an attorney.

And why should Floridians or Georgians or Alabamans have to accept that risk for the profit of FPL or of Houston-based Spectra Energy?

-jsq

The EPA’s questions must be given serious thought by FERC –Beth Gordon

Economy, Environment, FERC, Law, LNG, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Published with permission of the author, who stressed she sent this email “Not as a member of Spectrabusters. Just me.” I added a few links. -jsq

From: Beth Gordon
Date: April 24, 2014, 8:15:30 AM EDT
To: John Peconom of FERC
Subject: EPA comments

Dear Mr. Peconum,

Does FERC, or Spectra, intend answer the questions posed by the EPA? I read their posted comments yesterday. They obviously share many people’s feeling that Sabal Trail’s claims don’t add up. Florida doesn’t need this gas. In fact right now, Florida has so much that we store it. Spectra and FPL need this amount of gas for LNG plants for export, obviously. And for the Riviera beach connection to a 46 inch pipeline to run to the Bahamas undersea. Switching over one coal plant doesn’t justify a 3 billion dollar pipeline. Especially where FPL has raised, rather than lowered, electric bills on account of this endeavor.

The EPA’s questions must be given serious thought by FERC before it awards this project, and the eminent domain rights attendant to it. Floridians will see no Continue reading The EPA’s questions must be given serious thought by FERC –Beth Gordon →

Questions from SpectraBusters, Inc. to FERC

Environment, FE, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, Health, Law, LNG, PHMSA, Safety, Solar, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

FERC’s ecomment system was malfunctioning, so Beth emailed this on behalf of the board, which unanimously approved it earlier that same day. She also forwarded it to John Peconom of FERC and to her U.S. Rep Ted Yoho (FL-03) and to Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02). Here is contact information for your elected officials and candidates. -jsq

From: Beth Gordon
To: efiling <efiling@ferc.gov>
Date: Sat, Apr 19, 2014 6:05 pm
Subject: PF14-1 Sabal Trail Pipeline

To Whom it may Concern at FERC:

I am the President of a group of citizens and landowners from Alabama, Georgia, and Florida affected by the Sabal Trail Pipeline. Here are some important questions we hope you will answer for us. We have had no answers from FERC representatives at any other time. These are the questions we would like answered:

  1. Is lack of justification of energy need by Florida sufficient for FERC staff to recommend denying a permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline? Continue reading Questions from SpectraBusters, Inc. to FERC →

SpectraBusters, Inc. board: all three states along Sabal Trail Pipeline

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, , , , , , , ,

Update 15 February 2014: Now six board members; see Board page.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PDF

Valdosta, January 16, 2014 —

SpectraBusters, Inc. has incorporated in Georgia with board members from all three states on the path of the proposed Sabal Trail Transmission methane pipeline: Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

The five SpectraBusters board members include directly affected landowners and members of a wide range of groups affected by the pipeline:

Beth Gordon, President, doesn’t want a 36-inch pipeline through her horse farm in Levy County, Florida, where she practices law with The Gordon Law Firm. She filed a legal protest with the Florida Public Service Commission against the pipeline and spoke against it at the Levy County Commission, noting this pipeline is much bigger than previous pipelines or those that blew up recently in Oklahoma or Texas, plus the company behind this pipeline has a long list of fines for PCB pollution by EPA and for property damage, leaks, and negligence by PHMSA.

Larry Rodgers, Treasurer, Continue reading SpectraBusters, Inc. board: all three states along Sabal Trail Pipeline →

Appeal to redacted FOIA –Beth Gordon

FERC, Law, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“If Sabal Trail and Spectra energy are not guilty of invasion of privacy, why isn’t the public need to know and educate equally if not more important?”

That’s the gist of Beth Gordon’s appeal of 12 January 2014 to FERC’s redacted landowner list in response to her FOIA request. Here’s more:

It is my opinion that there is no privacy interest in the mere name and mailing address of an individual, particularly where, as here, Sabal Trail and Spectra energy has already used them numerous times to send unsolicited letters, invitations, and demands to survey. If Sabal Trail and Spectra energy are not guilty of invasion of privacy, why isn’t the public need to know and educate equally if not more important? The public right to know who is affected, to become educated, and to understand what is at stake ought not to be left to a private energy corporation that stands to make millions of dollars by getting this project approved with the least amount of resistance from landowners. FERC’S refusal to release these names and mailing addresses ensures that Sabal Trail and Spectra Energy are the only ones with the ability to contact these individuals (which they have done numerous times) and “educate them” as to this particular pipeline project.

In the Act generally, and particularly under Exemption (6), there is a strong presumption in favor of disclosure.” Continue reading Appeal to redacted FOIA –Beth Gordon →