Tag Archives: John S. Quarterman

Listen to the people you are supposed to protect –Laura Dailey to FERC

November 17, 2014Columbia County, Economy, FERC, Florida, Hazards, Safety, Solar, WaterChina, Columbia County, Economy, Europe, FERC, fire, Florida, Fort White, Germany, Hazards, insurance, John S. Quarterman, Laura Dailey, lobbyist, opportunity, protect, public, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, spring, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

“We have the opportunity to be world leaders in the renewable energy revolution! Shall we let that opportunity go to Germany or China, by default?”

Filed with FERC 15 November 2014:

Laura Dailey, fort white, FL.

On this final day to plead my/our case, it is time for the FERC to look at the bigger picture and stop caving to the short term fixes. We are in trouble, and you can help by voting to DENY THE SABAL TRAIL METHANE PIPELINE! Leave the gas in the ground…..where it’s already conveniently stored!

EVERY DAY we wake to an invitation from the sun! In fact, the planet itself runs on solar, and most European countries already understand this. Even China just made a huge commitment to solar. Contrary to what the lobbyists are telling you, FLORIDA DOES NOT NEED THIS GAS!!

From the standpoint of transparency, there is none! I have asked Continue reading Listen to the people you are supposed to protect –Laura Dailey to FERC →

Why accepting a natural gas easement is a bad deal

November 16, 2014Environment, Ethics, FE, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, History, Law, LNG, Solareasement, environment, Ethics, FE, FERC, Fracking, Government, Hazards, History, John S. Quarterman, Jon Wellinghoff, Kinder Morgan, KMI, Law, LNG, LNG export, national security, solar, SONAT, Southern Natural Gas, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Here are a few things you get with a pipeline easement: no right to grow trees on it, limited right to put up fences, and if you do, you have to have gates in them that the pipeline company can put their own lock on. But you do get to continue to pay taxes on land you can no longer fully use; land that now contains a potentially corrosive, leaky, explosive hazard that you can’t tap for your own use. And you do get pipeline company contractors coming through at their convenience to mow or otherwise clear the right of way. Contractors who may be somewhat unclear on where the right of way ends and your trees, for example, start. Without ever having to notify you then or tell you later what happened. And it’s even worse than that: you may get another pipeline, and meanwhile the pipeline company will claim rights over local governments and developments. All while the world has changed and the sun has risen on a better way.

All bets are off if there’s a pipeline break

Continue reading →

Find that Sabal Trail has not met its burden to show the pipeline is needed –Winfred Dukes

November 14, 2014Dougherty County, Environment, Ethics, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Law, Safety, WaterAlbany, Dinorah Hall, Dougherty County, enfironmental justice, environment, Ethics, FERC, Florida, FPL, Georgia, Gloria Gains, John S. Quarterman, Law, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Steven D. Caley, Water, Winfred Dukes, Winfred J. DukesJohn S. Quarterman

Produce the agreements that allegedly justify need:

Again, if SST is going to rely on precedent agreements to justify taking people’s private property by eminent domain, it should at least be required to produce the agreements.

And this:

Based on all of the above. it does not require much of a leap to assume that SST is planning to take people’s private property for private profit by enabling one of its parent owners.

Filed with FERC 14 November 2014, Comment of Gloria Gaines under PF14-1, submitted on behalf of State Representative Winfred Dukes. Continue reading Find that Sabal Trail has not met its burden to show the pipeline is needed –Winfred Dukes →

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 →

VSU Spectator covers pipeline protest at Valdosta Sabal Trail office

November 11, 2014Economy, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, SafetyEconomy, Education, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lowndes County, Michael Noll, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Valdosta, WACEJohn S. Quarterman

It’s time for more counties to follow Dougherty County’s lead and pass resolutions against the Sabal Trail pipeline. Local protests in Valdosta and citizens speaking before local governments emphasize that point.

Brittney Penland, VSU Spectator, Page 2, 6 November 2014, Students, faculty protest future pipeline,

Protestors gathered on Oct. 31 at the corner of Park Avenue and Patterson Street to argue against the building of the Sabal Trail gas pipeline.

The protesters were associated with VSU’s Students Against Violating the Environment and Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy. The costumes they were dressed in for Halloween attracted honking and “thumbs up’s” from those driving by.

Another protest is scheduled for today at Continue reading VSU Spectator covers pipeline protest at Valdosta Sabal Trail office →

Earthquakes in Oklahoma: FPL wants to frack there to ship through Sabal Trail

November 10, 2014Fracking, LNG, OklahomaFPL, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, LNG, LNG export, Oklahoma, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

FPL’s going to help frack on that other river you can see on that map in Olkahoma, so they can ship the gas through Sabal Trail to Florida, where there are three already-approved LNG export operations.

Matthew Nuttle, News9.com, 9 November 2014, Five Earthquakes Strike Within Minutes Of Each Other In Northern, Central OK,

OKLAHOMA CITY—A rash of earthquakes erupted in counties across northern and central parts of Oklahoma, Sunday night.

Five earthquakes in all were recorded between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., the most of which occurred near the town of Medford, Okla.

-jsq

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 →