Tag Archives: FERC

An unnecessary threat by an unsafe company –Ted Turner’s Nonami Plantation to FERC about Sabal Trail

November 14, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, FERC, Georgia, Law, Safety, WaterAlbany, compressor, Dougherty County, FERC, Georgia, habitat, John S. Quarterman, Joshua D. Marks, karst, Law, limestone, Nonami, property values, Safety, sinkhole, SONAT, SpectraBusters, Ted Turner, Terrell County, Water, wildlifeJohn S. Quarterman

And checkered pipeline company safety records, says Nonami:

The Project is Not Necessary and Thus Fails to Satisfy FERC Requirement of Being Publicly Necessary and Convenient
If Project is Proven Publicly Necessary, Alternative, Less Impactful Routes Exist
Pipeline Threatens the Property and the Community
Station Threatens the Property and the Community
Sabal’s Proponents have a Checkered Safety Record
Formal Public Opposition
Conclusion

I’ve added a few links and illustrations, but Nonami’s filing is so thorough it would take a long time to link to all the evidence.

Filed with FERC 13 November 2014, Comment filed on behalf of Nonami Oglethorpe, LLC by Davis, Pickren, Seydel & Sneed, LLP under PF14-1. Continue reading An unnecessary threat by an unsafe company –Ted Turner’s Nonami Plantation to FERC about Sabal Trail →

Needless risk through unnecessary crossings –SONAT to FERC about Sabal Trail

November 14, 2014Corrosion, Economy, FERC, GeorgiaBerrien County, boring, corrosion, crossings, Economy, FERC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, risk, soil, SONAT, Southern Natural Gas, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Disturbance of soil, exacerbating corrosion, needless risk through unnecessary crossings, and cutting corners through inappropriate boring methods: when even another pipeline company calls you out for those things, you’ve got a problem, Sabal Trail. And Southern Natural Gas just did that in ecomments to FERC.

SONAT should be worried about this after last week in Berrien County, Georgia:

Each crossing poses a risk during construction of the crossing as well as ongoing risks during operation and maintenance of the pipelines. Since the SNG pipeline must remain in service during construction of the crossings, each time Sabal Trail bores under, or cuts under, the SNG pipeline there is an increased risk that the integrity of the SNG pipeline will be compromised.

A humble county ditch puller broke SONAT’s pipeline on Bradford Road, resulting in Sheriff’s deputies from two counties, a city 911 vehicle, and an ambulance being scrambled, in addition to a fleet of Kinder Morgan vehicles. And me, since this break was only a few miles from my house, and the valve they used to turn off Berrien County is on my property. Neighbors I’ve known all my life were evacuated. One spark and they wouldn’t have had anything to come back to. And this was a 9 or 10-inch pipeline at 800PSI. Sabal Trail wants to run a 36-inch pipeline at twice the pressure, more than 20 times the gas. Why should any of us accept that risk for Sabal Trail’s corner-cutting profit?

You should have seen the face the Kinder Morgan rep on the spot pulled when I mentioned Sabal Trail. Now we can see spelled out what SONAT really thinks about their competitor, including: Continue reading Needless risk through unnecessary crossings –SONAT to FERC about Sabal Trail →

Agriculture over pipeline: Terrell County resolution against Sabal Trail

November 13, 2014Agriculture, Compressor, Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Safety, WaterAgriculture, agritourism, compressor, creeks, cultural, Economy, environment, FERC, forest, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, socioeconomic, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, streams, Terrell County, Water, wetland, wildlifeJohn S. Quarterman

Agritourism, economy, and environment were among the reasons Terrell County followed Dougherty County and passed a resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline. FERC didn’t post the County Chairman’s cover letter, but the County Clerk sent it to me. What else has FERC neglected to post?

Filed with FERC 13 November 2014, Protest of Terrell County Board of Commissioners (Georgia) under PF14-1.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas has proposed building a $3.7 Billion, 460-mile gas pipeline from Central Alabama to Central Florida known as the Sabal Trail, and:

WHEREAS, a growing contingency of local and area residents have expressed opposition to construction of the pipeline and compressor stations used to force the natural gas through the pipelines, and:

WHEREAS, The construction of the pipeline through Terrell County, Georgia will severely impact agricultural and agiitourism businesses located in the county, and:

WHEREAS, it is clear to this board that the Sabal Trail will not Continue reading Agriculture over pipeline: Terrell County resolution against Sabal Trail →

FERC recovers cost of operations through charges and fees from the industries it regulates –FERC FY14 Budget

November 12, 2014Alabama, Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, History, Law, LNG, Lowndes County, Maryland, Suwannee County, WaterAlabama, appropriation, charges, compressor, Congress, corruption, Cove Point LNG, Dougherty County, Economy, environment, Federal Power Act, fees, FERC, Florida, FPA, Georgia, Hamilton County, History, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Lowndes County, Maryland, Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, Treasury, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Don’t believe FERC is funded by the industries it regulates? Well, let’s look beyond FERC’s own About web page to its actual funding request to Congress. Maybe that will motivate you to ecomment to FERC right now, and to contact your local, state, and national elected and appointed officials.

Acting Chairman Cheryl A. LaFleur, FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, FY 2015 Congressional Performance Budget Request,

Full Cost Recovery

The Commission recovers the full cost of its operations through annual charges and filing fees assessed on the industries it regulates as authorized by the Federal Power Act (FPA) and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986. The Commission deposits this revenue into the Treasury as a direct offset to its appropriation, resulting in no net appropriation.

Clear enough that FERC is 100% funded by the industries it regulates?

That may seem like a win for the taxpayers. But is it a win for you the local landowners Continue reading FERC recovers cost of operations through charges and fees from the industries it regulates –FERC FY14 Budget →

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

November 11, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, Safetyactivists, community, compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, FERC, Florida, FPL, Georgia, Hazards, need, Panhandle Route, Safety, SpectraBusters, Spencer Lee, transparencyJohn S. Quarterman

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 →

Ecomment to FERC by Nov 15th

November 6, 2014FERCFERC, Florida Southeast Connection, FPL, FSC, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, NextEra Energy, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Transco, Williams Companyspectrabusters

Facebook event: Due to local opposition to an unnecessary fracked methane pipeline, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) made Sabal Trail (FPL and Spectra Energy) produce four new route alternatives, and FERC set a deadline of November 15th for comments on them.

http://spectrabusters.org/2014/10/15/sabal-trail-notice-of-eis-intent-and-route-alternatives-2/

Here’s how to send your ecomments to FERC before then: Continue reading Ecomment to FERC by Nov 15th →

FERC nervous about being watched

November 6, 2014FE, FERC, Law, LNG, Maryland, New YorkCove Point, FE, FERC, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Maryland, Minisink, New York, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBusters, transparencyJohn S. Quarterman

FERC can’t even say how many pipelines have been approved, rejected, or went forward even if approved; no wonder they’re being scrutinized.

Hannah Northey, E&E, 3 November 2014, FERC faces heightened scrutiny as gas projects proliferate,

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission these days is drawing a crowd of companies promoting projects linked to the U.S. natural gas boom and protesters who say the agency blithely greenlights too many pipelines, export terminals and other gas infrastructure.

Foes of a FERC-approved export terminal at Cove Point, Md., recently rallied Continue reading FERC nervous about being watched →

FERC lost half of Dougherty County Sabal Trail resolution

November 5, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, Safetyactivists, community, compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, FERC, Florida, FPL, Georgia, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, need, Panhandle Route, Safety, SpectraBusters, transparencyJohn S. Quarterman

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 →

Sabal Trail PR countered by actual information in the Suwannee Democrat

October 29, 2014Compressor, FERC, Florida, Hamilton County, LNG, PHMSA, SafetyAndrea Grover, Bascom, compressor, DOT, FERC, Florida, Hamilton County, Jasper, John S. Quarterman, Kristen Bridges, LNG, Open House, Patricia Tayman, PHMSA, Safety, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

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

October 28, 2014Dougherty County, Environment, FERC, Georgia, SafetyAlbany, Albany Herald, burden of proof, Dougherty County, environment, FERC, FPL, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, need, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WALB, WFXLJohn S. Quarterman

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 →