Tag Archives: FERC

Construction of Sabal Trail pipeline is not inevitable –L. Elliott Jones

March 29, 2016Dougherty County, FERC, Georgia, WaterAlbany Herald, Carlton Fletcher, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Clean Water Act, Dougherty County, environmental justice, Environmental Protection Division, FERC, Flint River, Flint Riverkeeper, GA EPD, Georgia, Greenlaw, John S. Quarterman, Kioke-Flint Group, L. Elliott Jones, landowners, National Environmental Policy Act, Natural Gas Act, NEPA, Orlando Sentinel, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sierra Club, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee River, Water, WWALSJohn S. Quarterman

Especially preventable after Sabal Trail’s river easements went down in flames in a historic vote by the Georgia House last week. -jsq

L. Elliott Jones, Albany Herald, 28 March 2016, L. ELLIOTT JONES: Construction of Sabal Trail pipeline is not inevitable
GUEST COLUMNIST: Efforts are still under way to prevent the construction of the gas pipeline,

Carlton Fletcher’s story, “Dougherty County leaders OK inevitable agreement on pipeline” on March 21, presented only one part of the current story on the Sabal Trail pipeline. There are two schools of thought on the Sabal Trail pipeline: those who believe construction of the pipeline is inevitable, and those who believe the pipeline can and should be prevented, and are working hard to do so. No one, in either group, believes it is needed in Georgia.
Continue reading Construction of Sabal Trail pipeline is not inevitable –L. Elliott Jones →

Please call your GA state rep. today to keep Sabal Trail out

March 22, 2016Georgia, Law, Solaraquifer, Chattahoochee River, conservation, FERC, Flint River, Floridan Aquifer, Georgia, House of Representatives, John S. Quarterman, Law, Okapilco Creek, pipeline, river, Sabal Trail, Santa Fe River, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, SR 954, Suwannee River, watershed, Withlacoochee River, WWALS, WWALS Watershed CoalitionJohn S. Quarterman

They’re voting today. Here’s who to call to ask to vote No on SR 954. And below is why. If you don’t live in Georgia, you probably know somebody who does: please ask them to call their GA state rep.

John S. Quarterman, Valdosta Daily Times, today, 22 March 2016, Still possible to keep Sabal Trail out,

After two years going to Sabal Trail open houses and FERC scoping meetings, filing e-comments, guiding them to the river crossings and a legal hearing in Jasper, FERC still tells us customers for Spectra Energy from Houston, Texas, constitute a need that outweighs local property rights, environmental destruction, and hazards to our Withlacoochee and Suwannee rivers and the Floridan Aquifer, and to taxes, life, and limb.

Yet Georgia is the fastest-growing U.S. solar market, while solar Continue reading Please call your GA state rep. today to keep Sabal Trail out →

Six rehearing requests to FERC, including from Sabal Trail and Transco

March 19, 2016Alabama, Compressor, Economy, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, Solar, WaterAir, Alabama, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Inc, BREDL, compressor, Economy, environment, FERC, Florida, G.B.A. ASSOCIATES LLC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Jonathan P. Waters Attorney at Law, Law, solar, SpectraBusters, Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company LLC, Water, windJohn S. Quarterman

The pipeline companies want rehearings, apparently because they don’t like the restrictions the FERC order put on them, so maybe we’ll actually see a rehearing. The other four rehearing requests all don’t like what FERC certified Sabal Trail to do, and some have new reasons beyond what was in the FEIS or the docket beforehand. Poor FERC! Nobody likes your Order! How about stop permitting new fossil fuel projects and promote renewable sun and wind power instead?

The six requests for rehearings, including one by Transco and one by Sabal Trail, all conveniently grouped by FERC in a subdocket at the end of the results if you search for CP15-17 in FERC’s Docket Search: Continue reading Six rehearing requests to FERC, including from Sabal Trail and Transco →

Keep calling to strip Sabal Trail easements from SR 954 in the GA House

March 17, 2016Georgia, Solaraquifer, Chattahoochee River, conservation, FERC, Flint River, Floridan Aquifer, Georgia, House of Representatives, John S. Quarterman, Okapilco Creek, pipeline, river, Sabal Trail, Santa Fe River, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, SR 954, Suwannee River, watershed, Withlacoochee River, WWALS, WWALS Watershed CoalitionJohn S. Quarterman

Sabal Trail’s allies have failed three times to pass this bill! Please keep calling your state legislators so they will stay strong voting against SR 954 until Sabal Trail and Transco easements are taken out of it. The next vote is scheuduled for Tuesday, March 22nd, so please call them through the weekend.

If you don’t live in Georgia, you probably know somebody who does, so you can ask them to call their Georgia state rep. to stop easements for Sabal Trail to drill under the Chattahoochee, Flint, Ochlockonee, and Withlacoochee Rivers, and Okapilco and Hannahatchee Creeks. Stop it in Georgia, and that will stop it in Florida and Alabama!

Follow this link for all the Georgia statehouse members in the pipeline path. Or type in Continue reading Keep calling to strip Sabal Trail easements from SR 954 in the GA House →

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.

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 →

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 →

NY Gov. asks FERC to suspend license for a Spectra pipeline

February 29, 2016FERC, Law, New York, Politics, Safety, WaterAIM, Algonquin Incremental Market, Andrew Cuomo, election, FERC, Hudson River, Indian Point, John S. Quarterman, Law, New York, nuclear, Politics, Safety, SAPE, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Petitions to the New York Governor may have helped him send this message to FERC about Spectra’s AIM pipeline project that would go far too close to the document-forging caught-fire leaked-oil-into-the-Hudson River Indian Point nuclear plant:

Lisa W. Foderaro, New York Times, 28 Feb 2016, Plan to Expand a Pipeline at Indian Point Raises Concern,

On Monday, the state plans to notify the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that it will take a hard look at the project in light of a series of problems at the nuclear plant since last May. In addition, the state will ask federal regulators to suspend their approval of the project — effectively halting construction — until the study is completed.

“I am directing Continue reading NY Gov. asks FERC to suspend license for a Spectra pipeline →

Suwannee County Commissioners and public to hike to Sabal Trail Suwannee River Crossing

February 16, 2016FERC, Florida, Hamilton County, Politics, Suwannee County, WaterFERC, Florida, Floridan Aquifer, Government, John S. Quarterman, Politics, Sabal Trail Transmission, sinkhole, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, spring, Suwannee County, Suwannee River, Water, WWALSJohn S. Quarterman

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Live Oak, February 10, 2016 — The date has been set to go see where Spectra Energy of Houston Texas has been permitted by the Picture by Alton Burns Federal Energy Regulatory (FERC) in Washington, DC to drill under the Suwannee River for its Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline despite widespread local opposition. The Suwannee Board of County Commissioners already voted a resolution to move Sabal Trail’s compressor station. Still mulling stronger action, the SBOCC agreed at a recent meeting to go with local guides, including WWALS Watershed Coalition board member Chris Mericle, on a hike with the public to where FERC said construction monitoring was important for the river and our drinking water in the Floridan Aquifer, but Sabal Trail should be left to self-monitor. The day and time have been set: 8:15 AM Thursday February 18, 2016.

All interested individuals will meet at: Continue reading Suwannee County Commissioners and public to hike to Sabal Trail Suwannee River Crossing →

We will accept Sabal Trail’s answers –FERC issues certificates

February 3, 2016Environment, FERC, Law, LNG, Politics, WaterAlbany, Dougherty County, Duke Energy, environment, FERC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, FSC, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, NextEra Energy, Politics, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, Suwannee River, Transco, Water, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

Property rights, environment, or safety? 14% pipeline company profit is more important! said FERC. But this fight is not over.

Without ever appearing on FERC’s public calendar, and a month in advance of when FERC previously said, FERC yesterday issued certificates for Sabal Trail, the Transco Hillabee Expansion Project, and Florida Southeast Connection. Trial-style evidentiary hearing? Nope, FERC believes Sabal Trail. Consolidation of the three dockets into one? Nope, everybody should have opposed all three, says FERC. Environmental justice? Hey, demographics don’t matter, pipeline siting is all about engineering and “environmental” issues. And profit. Don’t forget profit for the pipeline companies. Solar power? Nevermind, Continue reading We will accept Sabal Trail’s answers –FERC issues certificates →