Tag Archives: John S. Quarterman

FERC running scared of protesters moves meeting date up to 14 May 2015

FERC can’t face the heat! But the rubberstamp machine can’t hide, either. It’s a safe bet protesters will be there at the new date.

Alex Guillén, Politico, 8 May 2015, FERC moves May meeting to avoid protestors,

ATTENTION FERC WORLD — MAY MEETING MOVED UP TO AVOID PROTESTS: FERC has moved up its monthly May meeting at the recommendation of federal law enforcement in order to avoid planned large-scale protests. The commissioner’s regularly scheduled monthly public meeting had been slated to take place on May 21, but because of plans for protest actions involving potentially hundreds of people, FERC has moved up the meeting to next Thursday, May 14. The decision was made after a recommendation from the Federal Protective Service “to better ensure the safety of its staff and the public during the protests planned for May 21 at FERC headquarters,” FERC spokesman Craig Cano wrote in an email.

About the protests: An umbrella group called Beyond Extreme Energy that charges FERC is Continue reading FERC running scared of protesters moves meeting date up to 14 May 2015

Massive opposition to KMI Palmetto Pipeline in Waynesboro + Sabal Trail

Most of the 400 people at the final Georgia Department of Transportation hearing vehemently opposed Kinder Morgan’s Palmetto petroleum products Pipeline. There’s still time to ask GDOT to deny the Palmetto permit. Now is the time also to ask GDOT to deny any permits for the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline, and for Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle to oppose Sabal Trail like they just said they oppose the Palmetto Project.

That’s SpectraBusters ally Gretchen Elsner of the Georgia Climate Coalition on the Friday front page of the Savannah Morning News, Clapping in the blue shirt is Continue reading Massive opposition to KMI Palmetto Pipeline in Waynesboro + Sabal Trail

Sabal Trail sues Georgia Centenial Family Farm @ Moultrie 2015-05-28

Update 2015-05-10: Added case number, judge’s address, and directions.

Sabal Trail has sued another dozen landowners, and one case comes to trial 9:30 AM May 28th 2015 at the Courthouse Annex in Moultrie, Georgia. They want to Continue reading Sabal Trail sues Georgia Centenial Family Farm @ Moultrie 2015-05-28

GA Gov. says state opposes KMI’s Palmetto Pipeline

Congratulations to Push Back the Pipeline for this victory!

Party in Waynesboro tonight! Georgia Governor Nathan Deal today said the state and GDOT oppose Kinder Morgan’s Palmetto Project, and will take it to the courts if necessary. Come to the GDOT Hearing in Waynesboro anyway, as a victory party. And if Georgia objects to KMI’s Palmetto pipeline, Georgia should object to Spectra’s Sabal Trail pipeline.

WRDW, 7 May 2015, Georgia’s Governor says the state is against pipeline project,

“We’re going to object from the state level and I think that process will then go to the courts for a judge to decide,” Gov. Deal said.

“We’ve been in consultation with Continue reading GA Gov. says state opposes KMI’s Palmetto Pipeline

Kinder Morgan FERC filing to ship fracked methane to Jacksonville

The pipeline companies are in cahoots to export through all our lands. 300x194 Exhibit F: Compressors and loops; Suwannee, Columbia, and Bradford Counties, Florida, in Jacksonville Expansion Project, by FGT, for SpectraBusters.org, 31 March 2015 Beware especially Suwannee, Columbia, Bradford, and Clay Counties, Florida. Beware Atlantic coastal Georgia, the same Kinder Morgan (KMI) of the Palmetto petroleum products Project to Jacksonville wants to push fracked methane to Jacksonville, apparently for export. Beware Alabama, Georgia, and Florida on the proposed path of Sabal Trail: This new Florida project could ship Sabal Trail fracked methane to Jaxport for LNG export.

In March 2014 TECO Peoples Gas announced intention to ship fracked methane to Jacksonville, which the Jacksonville Business Journal interpreted as for export, since Continue reading Kinder Morgan FERC filing to ship fracked methane to Jacksonville

Duke Energy buys into Sabal Trail

Are Spectra and FPL running short on money so they have to take on a new investor? Has the opposition cost them $225 million already?

The AP story includes two misconceptions. After protests continuing into this year, a criminal trespass lawsuit against Sabal Trail, and multiple parties filing amicus briefs, this is all AP remembers:

The pipeline drew protests from southwest Georgia residents last year, who said they do not want a pollution-emitting compression station near their homes.

And despite Sabal Trail’s continued failure to demonstrate need, AP repeats this old canard:

Currently there are only two major pipelines that deliver natural gas to Florida. Both are nearing capacity.

Not if the Sunshine State gets on with solar power, like even the most corrupt state (Georgia) is doing.

Interestingly, there’s no press release from any of Sabal Trail, Spectra, NextEra, or FPL about this, but there’s this obviously slanted Duke Energy PR, 5 May 2015, Duke Energy buys 7.5% of previously announced Sabal Trail pipeline that will meet growing need for natural gas in Southeast U.S., Continue reading Duke Energy buys into Sabal Trail

Kinder Morgan campaign contributions to GA Gov. Deal and Lt. Gov. Cagle

Kinder Morgan contributed to the campaigns of Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, and to numerous other elected officials, similar to Spectra Energy PAC and many other pipeline companies or associated political action committees. Could this have something to do with how Georgia state officials are not being very helpful to the citizens who overwhelmingly oppose both Kinder Morgan’s proposed Palmetto petroleum products pipeline through eastern Georgia and Spectra’s proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline through southwest Georgia? Could it explain why the Georgia government seems to be treating both pipelines as if they were public-private partnerships with the state?

Searching Georgia Campaign Finance Commission campaign records show Kinder Morgan (KMI) subsidiary Southern Natural Gas (SONAT) contributed to a whole bunch of people, including Casey Cagle: Continue reading Kinder Morgan campaign contributions to GA Gov. Deal and Lt. Gov. Cagle

Why Georgia Doesn’t Need the Palmetto Pipeline –Poets Love Birds

The Suwannee River faces invasion by both Kinder Morgan’s Palmetto petroleum products pipeline and Spectra Energy’s Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline. Plus the Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha, Satilla, and St. Mary’s River are threatened by the Palmetto Project, Chattahoochee, Flint, Withlacoochee, and Santa Fe Rivers are threatened by Sabal Trail, plus most both projects is above the fragile Floridan Aquifer. All for no known local benefit; just to profit corporate greed.

Curtis and Norma Beaird, Poets Love Birds, 30 April 2015, Why Georgia Doesn’t Need the Palmetto Pipeline: Our Filing to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),

We are writing this article because we are very concerned about the proposed Palmetto Pipeline to be built in the state of Georgia. Kinder Morgan plans to build 360-mile pipeline that will run from Belton, South Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida. According to the Savannah Riverkeeper, 218 miles of the pipeline will be in Georgia and 142 miles of the pipeline will be built in South Carolina. This pipeline would move refined petroleum products, to include denatured fuel ethanol. …

According to Push Back the Pipeline:

In the continental U.S., there are only 42 free-flowing rivers greater than 124 miles in length. Georgia contains five of these rivers, three of which are in the path of the proposed pipeline, Altamaha, Ogeechee, and Satilla Rivers. The Okefenokee Swamp is also the headwaters of the St. Marys and the Suwanee River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico.

Georgia also contains most of the free-flowing 205-mile Alapaha River, which fortunately isn’t currently the target of any pipeline. However, Spectra Energy proposes to gouge its Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline under the 115-mile Withlacoochee River in Georgia. And Sabal Trail would cross the Suwannee River in Florida, so the Suwannee is a target of both pipelines: Palmetto in Georgia, and Sabal Trail in Florida.

Here’s Curtis Beaird’s FERC filing, which notes that Kinder Morgan has not proven any need Continue reading Why Georgia Doesn’t Need the Palmetto Pipeline –Poets Love Birds

528 showed up against Palmetto Pipeline when 150 expected

No Public Need, Just Pollution and Greed, said the sign that summed up the overwhelming sentiment of the public.

Jeff Whitten, Bryan County News, 24 April 2015, Proposed Palmetto Pipeline draws little support: Dozens speak out against Kinder Morgan at hearing,

Speaker after speaker stood up before a packed room to voice opposition to the pipeline and Kinder Morgan’s application to the Georgia Department of Transportation for a certificate of necessity and convenience.

The DOT said 528 people came to the hearing, and the agency plans to hold another hearing May 7 in Waynesboro. It also would take written comments through May 15.

If granted, the certificate would allow Kinder Morgan to Continue reading 528 showed up against Palmetto Pipeline when 150 expected

Sabal Trail repeatedly sent letters to landowners claiming Georgia eminent domain authority –SpectraBusters to judge

SpectraBusters sent examples of Sabal Trail’s many threats of eminent domain, in this letter to Leesburg for the ongoing eminent domain and criminal trespass trial.

300x388 Standing, in Sb leesburg, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 31 March 2015

Re: Case number 14CV208RS
Judge Rucker Smith

To: Cindy Clark
Civil Deputy Clerk
County Courthouse
100 Leslie Highway
Leesburg, Georgia 31763

If it please the court,

SpectraBusters, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit corporation with board members and other participants in all three states directly affected by the Sabal Trail proposed pipeline: Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. The SpectraBusters board voted Monday March 30th 2015 to send this letter to the court to express our concerns about Sabal Trail’s attempts to claim Georgia eminent domain long before it tried to claim customers in Georgia, as well as possible ill effects throughout the pipeline route, especially in Georgia, if the judge were to rule in this case for application of Georgia eminent domain. Even with Sabal Trail’s claimed agreement with the Metropolitan Gas Authority of Georgia (MGAG), Sabal Trail is still “a long way” Continue reading Sabal Trail repeatedly sent letters to landowners claiming Georgia eminent domain authority –SpectraBusters to judge