Tag Archives: Florida

NTSB tells PHMSA to fix its horrible pipeline safety methods

January 30, 2015California, Corrosion, Explosion, Florida, Hazards, Kentucky, Leak, New Jersey, PHMSA, SafetyAmerican Gas Association, California, corrosion, explosion, Federal Geographic Data Committee, Florida, Hazards, Interstate National Gas Association of America, John S. Quarterman, Kentucky, leak, National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives, New Jersey, NTSB, PHMSA, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Safety, SpectraBusters, US Department of TransportationJohn S. Quarterman

Tired of reporting on explosions unprevented by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). just issued a damning set of recommendations to PHMSA, plus to an alphabet soup of other organizations to ride herd on PHMSA to try to get some improvement. How about instead we stop building new pipelines and get on with solar power?

NTSB said its motivation was three recent explosions it reported: the 2009 Palm City, Florida flying pipeline that almost hit a high school, the 2010 San Bruno, California PG&E Pipeline Rupture and Fire, and the 2012 Sissonville, West Virginia I-75 house destruction, about which NTSB said:

These three accidents resulted in 8 fatalities, over 50 injuries, and 41 homes destroyed with many more damaged.

And NTSB reporting on PHMSA’s failures goes back way farther than that, Continue reading NTSB tells PHMSA to fix its horrible pipeline safety methods →

New England doesn’t need more gas pipelines: stockpile instead

January 21, 2015Alabama, Florida, Georgia, MassachusettsAlabama, Florida, FPL, Georgia, ISO New England, ISO-NE, John S. Quarterman, LNG export, Massachusetts, New England, price, rate, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, stockpileJohn S. Quarterman

Still more evidence that new natural gas pipelines are an unneeded boondoggle.

Kathryn R. Eiseman, Commonwealth Magazine, 20 January 2015, New gas pipelines can be avoided: Back-up fuel incentives are the way to go,

LAST WINTER’S NATURAL gas price spikes, and resultant electric rate hikes, continue to be used to justify the push for massive expansion of gas infrastructure. Yet a successful program to incentivize New England’s power generators to contract for back-up fuel for this winter undermines the argument for more pipelines. This winter’s lower wholesale gas and electric prices indicate that the rate hikes themselves could have been avoided had such measures been more fully implemented for the 2013-2014 winter.

Measures like contracting to buy gas from peak load plants that sometimes sat idle last winter. And measures like storing gas when it’s cheap to use in the winter.

In fact, ISO-NE intentionally excluded LNG storage incentives from last winter’s winter reliability program, telling the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that gas-market-related solutions “would lower gas prices and send the wrong signal about the relative scarcity of natural gas. These lower prices would also be reflected in the electricity market.” In other words, allowing prices to rise would help convince the public Continue reading New England doesn’t need more gas pipelines: stockpile instead →

Columbia County, FL steps towards anti-fracking ordinance

January 16, 2015Columbia County, Florida, Fracking, LawColumbia County, Debra Johnson, Florida, Fracking, Laura Dailey, Law, Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, Our Santa Fe River, SpectraBustersDebra Johnson

And of course our own Laura gave her usual valuable insights! An excellent presentation by OSFR well attended except by Suwannee County citizens. Columbia County voted to have their attorney consult with Alachua County to draft a resolution or ordinance against fracking and related issues. Thank you Merrillee, Jim and all the members of OSFR and other groups for a concise and excellent presentation. Now for the rest of North Florida counties… Like Suwannee County

Our Santa Fe River, 15 January 2015, Columbia Commissioners Take First Step,

And a giant step it was. The far-sighted and open-minded commissioners listened attentively and with interest to the detailed, informative and professionally delivered Power Point presentation by OSFR president Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson giving the many reasons for adopting an ordinance banning fracking in Continue reading Columbia County, FL steps towards anti-fracking ordinance →

Sabal Trail is an insurgent invader; pipeline opponents are environmental patriots

January 9, 2015Alabama, Environment, Florida, Georgia, History, Law, Safety, WaterAlabama, Education, eminent domain, environment, Florida, FPL, Georgia, Government, History, insurgent, John S. Quarterman, Law, patriot, redcoat, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Transco, Water, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

The pipeline companies are invading insurgents, acting against the stated directions of local elected governments. Pipeline opponents, fighting for their land, water, air, safety, and children, are patriots.

Merriam Webster defines insurgent as:

a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government

~~Five~~ Six counties and two cities in Georgia and Florida have so far passed resolutions against the Sabal Trail pipeline, and four state representatives have complained to FERC about it: here’s a list. That’s in addition to the other state and federal agencies that have complained to FERC. And in addition to the hundreds of individuals who have spoken at Sabal Trail’s Open Houses and FERC’s Scoping Meetings, overwhelmingly opposing the pipeline. And in addition to the numerous landowner, environmental, and political organizations that have passed resolutions, filed with FERC, and in many cases intervened with FERC against Sabal Trail’s application for a permit.

So if you see the people willing to put their time, money, and in many cases their freedom on the line; when you see the media call them insurgents, you know it’s a lie. Like Americans against invading redcoats, pipeline opponents are patriots.

One of many lies deliberately promoted by the fossil fuel industry. Eamon Javers wrote for CNBC 8 November 2011 Oil Executive: Military-Style ‘Psy Ops’ Experience Applied, Continue reading Sabal Trail is an insurgent invader; pipeline opponents are environmental patriots →

No eminent domain for water-threatening unnecessary Sabal Trail pipeline –GA Rep. Dexter Sharper District 177

January 7, 2015Economy, Explosion, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hazards, Law, Lowndes County, Safety, Solar, Trees, WaterAgriculture, Dexter Sharper, drinking water, Economy, Education, eminent domain, explosion, Florida, Floridan Aquifer, forestry, Form 10-K, FPL, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hazards, insurance, John S. Quarterman, karst, Law, LCDP, limestone, Lowndes County, Lowndes County Democratic Party, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, SEC, solar, SONAT, Southern Natural Gas, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Trees, Valdosta, Water, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

The state representative for Valdosta and parts of Lowndes County cited their two resolutions and enumerated lack of need for a pipeline, threatening letters from Sabal Trail, alternative routes next to a school, ill effects on business including on forestry and agriculture and private property valuations, potential sinkholes due to drilling under the Withlacoochee River, including on the preferred route, or anywhere in the fragile karst limestone containing the Floridan Aquifer, plus Spectra Energy’s own SEC filings say it doesn’t have insurance to cover the kinds of safety problems in Spectra’s own history nor those pointed out by Southern Natural Gas Company. Dexter Sharper noted local evidence that solar power is cheaper and safer, and echoed the Lowndes County Democratic Party in writing:

“…we have a moral obligation to leave our children and grandchildren with an earth as safe, beautiful, and majestic as the one bequeathed to us by our parents and grandparents.”
For all these reasons, on behalf of my constituents and the citizens of Lowndes County and the state of Georgia, I oppose the Sabal Trail pipeline anywhere in the County of Lowndes or the State of Georgia.
I urge that FERC reject any permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline, or at the very least move it entirely out of the State of Georgia.

Filed 7 January 2015 with FERC as Accession Number: 20150107-5100, “Comment of Dexter Sharper, Georgia State Representative, District 177, under CP15-17.” Continue reading No eminent domain for water-threatening unnecessary Sabal Trail pipeline –GA Rep. Dexter Sharper District 177 →

Williston fire and police station relocated due to sinkhole: Sabal Trail wants pipeline through there

January 1, 2015Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hazards, Levy County, Lowndes County, Safety, WaterAlapaha River, collapse, fire, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Levy County, Lowndes County, police, Safety, Santa Fe River, sinkhole, SpectraBusters, Water, Williston, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

In a county already famous for sinkholes, the fire and police department just had to move off of a sinkhole. Sabal Trail wants to poke a yard-wide pipeline on a hundred-foot right of way right through that area, and under rivers, some of which already leak underground. How about solar power for the Sunshine State instead?

GTN News, 11 July 2014, Williston Has A New Sinkhole – UNDER the Police Dept. and Fire Station,

A new sinkhole in Williston, but it’s not forming just anywhere. It’s underneath the police station and fire department. GTN’s Hailey Holloway has more on the problem and what the city is trying to do to prevent a disaster.

Heavy rain getting into the Florida soil is causing the building to shift and crack and buckle.

“Unless by the grace of God it rains everywhere but Williston, we’re going to have issues.”

The problems started Continue reading Williston fire and police station relocated due to sinkhole: Sabal Trail wants pipeline through there →

SpectraBusters moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al.

December 24, 2014Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, History, Law, LNG, Safety, Wateraccountability, Alabama, Beth Gordon, disaster, Economy, Edison, eminent domain, environment, EPA, FERC, Florida, FPL, Gainesville Sun, Georgia, Hazards, History, insurance, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, New Jersey, Safety, soil, SpectraBusters, taxpayer, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

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.

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. →

A flood of motions to intervene filed: still two days to go to Sabal Trail deadline

December 22, 2014Alabama, Dougherty County, FERC, Florida, Georgia, LawAlabama, Dougherty County, Duke Energy, FERC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, FPL, FSC, Georgia, Hillabee Expansion Project, John S. Quarterman, Law, motion to intervene, Sabal Trail Transmission, Southern Company, Southern Natural Gas Company, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Transco, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

The trickle turns to a flood of motions to intervene being filed for the FERC dockets of Sabal Trail, Transco’s Hillabee Expansion Project, and Florida Southeast Connection. Two elected county governments have filed, one of them in all three dockets. Other counties and cities and even states can dod the same.

Be sure to file in all three dockets: CP15-17, CP15-16, and CP14-554. It’s not enough to list them in your filing documents or description: you must file them on each docket. If you don’t find your filing in FERC’s docket search for each of the three dockets, you need to go back and file again in the other dockets. Here’s how to file for multiple dockets in a single Continue reading A flood of motions to intervene filed: still two days to go to Sabal Trail deadline →

Nonami Oglethorpe moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al.

December 22, 2014FERC, Georgia, Law, WaterAlabama, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gulf of Mexico, John S. Quarterman, Law, Nonami Oglethorpe, SpectraBusters, Water, wetlandsJohn S. Quarterman

Ted Turner’s Nonami plantation near Albany, Georgia 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.

Intervenor is a landowner with land laying both within the proposed right-of-way corridor for the Sabal pipeline and within very close proximity to one of Sabal’s proposed compressor stations, thus exposing its property to condemnation and deleterious effects associated with the construction and operation of a natural gas transmission pipeline and deleterious effects of a compressor station.

Filed with FERC 22 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141222-5003, “Motion to Intervene of Nonami Oglethorpe, LLC under CP15-17.” Continue reading Nonami Oglethorpe moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al. →

Gulf Restoration Network moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al.

December 21, 2014Alabama, FERC, Florida, Law, WaterAlabama, FERC, Florida, GRN, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf Restoration Network, John S. Quarterman, Law, SpectraBusters, Water, wetlandsJohn S. Quarterman

An environmental organization protecting the Gulf of Mexico and the wetlands and the streams and rivers flowing into it 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.

GRN is concerned that the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline, and other components of the Southeast Market Pipelines Project, is not justified by any existing need and that their construction and operation will unnecessarily destroy coastal wetlands and impair water quality in rivers and streams in Alabama and Florida, with attendant impacts on the Gulf.

Here’s how to file a motion to intervene. GRN’s was filed with FERC 19 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141219-5312, “Motion to Intervene of Gulf Restoration Network, Inc. under CP15-17, et al”. -jsq Continue reading Gulf Restoration Network moves to intervene on Sabal Trail et al. →