Tag Archives: Kinder Morgan

Kinder Morgan bolts from emergency planning meeting in Savannah

The world’s largest pipeline company ran away from a hint of public scrutiny, like FERC changed its commission meeting date to try to avoid protesters. Maybe… public opinion matters?

The pipeline companies are watching all the opposition. And the opposition is shadowing all the pipeline companies. Score one for the opposition! Plus plenty of opportunities coming up for more concerted opposition against any new fossil fuel tentacles through our countryside or under our rivers.

Mary Landers, Savannah Morning News, 16 September 2015, Kinder Morgan cancels ‘spotlight’ on Elba operations, Continue reading Kinder Morgan bolts from emergency planning meeting in Savannah

Spectra a potential bidder for Williams Co. of Transco

Few taxes for “investors who receive fat yields” (such as Florida Gov. Rick Scott): that’s what Sabal Trail is for, as Spectra may be one of the bidders for Williams Company, of Transco and the Hillabee Expansion Project, where Sabal Trail aims to get its fracked methane. Not any unproven “need” by Florida. Not any nonexistant customers in Georgia. Profit by a few fat cats headquartered in Houston, Texas, plus Florida Gov. Rick Scott.

The end of this article is the bottom line (literally). Mike Stone and Greg Roumeliotis, Reuters, 5 August 2015, Exclusive: Energy Transfer advances in auction for Williams – sources,

Energy Transfer would be the latest MLP to propose using a C-corporation as a way to maximize tax advantages, increase cash flows and broaden institutional interest.

The sector had previously embraced the MLP structure because the tax burden is passed through to investors who receive fat yields. Because the partnership pays no taxes, it has a lower cost of capital.

WMB was following the lead of Kinder Morgan, according to Albert Alfonso, Seeking Alpha, 23 July 2015, Energy Transfer Equity Enters The Auction For Williams, Continue reading Spectra a potential bidder for Williams Co. of Transco

Make FERC follow its own rules and listen to people –New Hampshire Congressional delegation to DoE Inspector General

Kinder Morgan opposition has escalated to New Hampshire’s entire Congressional delegation demanding in polite bureaucrateze for the Department of Energy’s Inspector General to make FERC shape up. It will take more than that, but it’s a start. KMI’s New England Direct (NED) pipeline is still in FERC pre-filing.

It’s time for more Georgia, Florida, and Alabama Congress members to follow Sanford Bishop (GA-02) in calling for FERC to deny Sabal Trail a permit. Dougherty County and Albany, Georgia are organizing opposition from local through state to federal. You can comment to GA-EPD about Sabal Trail’s air quality permit for their proposed Albany compressor station. And remember to ecomment to FERC and petition Georgia Governor Deal.

PDF of the New Hampshire letter, and text below. Continue reading Make FERC follow its own rules and listen to people –New Hampshire Congressional delegation to DoE Inspector General

Third Atlanta Journal-Constitution about Sabal Trail and Palmetto Project

Atlanta has heard about Sabal Trail, Palmetto Project, and several other proposed pipeline projects three times now from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It’s time to act.

Greg Bluestein, AJC, Pipeline project fuels anger in Georgia,

Their proposal comes as pipeline projects — and controversy surrounding them — pop up across Georgia. A 157-mile Sabal Trail Pipeline that would cross nine southwest Georgia counties has sparked outrage in Albany and Valdosta. And Atlanta Gas Light wants to begin pumping gas from Coweta County to Dalton by 2017.

But Kinder Morgan’s proposal has struck a throbbing nerve, in part because of the length of the proposed pipeline — the 320-mile route stretches by Augusta, Savannah and Jacksonville — and in part because of the threat of eminent domain hanging over the landowners.

“Where do we draw the line? There are no reset buttons,” Troy Davis, a local landowner, said at one of the town hall meetings that Kinder Morgan called to calm fears about the project. “It will be a Kroger, a CVS, a Burger King that comes to this community and says, ‘Hey, we have a necessity for this.’ ”

That’s why the real solution is for the Georgia legislature to revoke eminent domain for private companies. But the legislature doesn’t meet until January, and we need to stop these pipelines before then.

About Kinder Morgan trespassing 1.7 miles into land owned by Billy Morris, who also owns the newspapers in Augusta and Savannah: Continue reading Third Atlanta Journal-Constitution about Sabal Trail and Palmetto Project

Follow New York State and ban fracking nationwide –Lois Gibbs

The woman who stood up for Love Canal residents and caused the federal government to create Superfunds now calls for a nationwide fracking ban. And with no fracking, there will be no new pipelines!

Buffalo News, 13 July 2015, Another Voice: Federal fracking ban should follow New York’s lead,

By Lois Marie Gibbs

On June 29, New York took the final step in the process to ban fracking, following the announcement of the ban last December based on significant public health risks. In many ways, the ban stems from the large movement of activists and scientists who raised their voices and showed clearly that fracking has unacceptable dangers. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo deserves tremendous praise for standing up to the oil and gas industry and protecting the public health and safety of all New Yorkers.

Unfortunately, the federal government’s plans for fracking contrast poorly Continue reading Follow New York State and ban fracking nationwide –Lois Gibbs

Fracking and pipeline bans start at the local level

Local ordinances lead to state laws banning fracking and pipelines. And don’t forget Sabal Trail has to get permits from the Georgia Department of Transportation for road crossings and an air quality permit from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division for the Albany compressor station, or no pipeline. There is plenty local, state, and federal elected officials can do to stop this invading fracked methane destruction and hazard. Rev. Ezekiel Holly called on local officials to act. Here are some ways how.

How about a county ordinance rooted in the Comprehensive Plan? A local ordinance was used by Jefferson County, Florida to keep Nestle out of the same Floridan Aquifer. Local ordinances have been used in Pennsylvania to stop pipelines, and upheld by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Local ordinances were used across New York State to ban fracking, and upheld by the state Court of Appeals, until the state government finally took up the cause and banned fracking statewide.

Now New York state residents are saying Continue reading Fracking and pipeline bans start at the local level

Deny Sabal Trail, said U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, and FERC ignored him

Citing the GDOT denial of KMI’s Palmetto Pipeline and numerous specific hazards of Spectra Energy’s proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline (sinkholes in karst limestone and a compressor station next to Albany’s water wells, all for no benefit to Georgia, by a company with a poor safety record), U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02) wrote to FERC (PDF):

I believe that FERC should deny STT’s application for a Certificate of Public Necessity.

And he told FERC to tell Sabal Trail to stop suing his constituents for eminent domain.

A year after Rep. Bishop listened in Albany for two hours to complaints about Sabal Trail, Dougherty County and Albany, Georgia filed followup letters to their resolutions against that pipeline. Neither FERC nor Sabal Trail answered them, so their Representative in the U.S. Congress forwarded their letters with that sharp cover letter. Three weeks later, FERC still hasn’t even filed his letter in their e-comment system, much less responded to it.

Just how lawless is FERC, anyway? Doesn’t a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations give them pause? Continue reading Deny Sabal Trail, said U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, and FERC ignored him

Pipeline companies abusing public-use doctrine –Steven Caley, GreenLaw, in AJC

Atlanta is surrounded by pipeline invaders, and Steve Caley nailed why:

“The public-use doctrine is being twisted and abused by many companies proposing to build these pipelines that are really not for a public purpose, but for a private profit,” said Steve Caley, the interim director of Atlanta-based GreenLaw, an environmental nonprofit. “There needs to be a change in the law to further circumscribe the use of eminent domain.”

Dan Chapman, AJC, 13 June 2015, New pipelines fuel fights over property, recorded another pipeline company deliberately missing the point: Continue reading Pipeline companies abusing public-use doctrine –Steven Caley, GreenLaw, in AJC

Texas pipeline invasion of Georgia in Los Angeles Times

The people and state of Georgia can stop this Texas invader, and if that takes a California paper implying Texans are Yankees, so be it. As well as Kinder Morgan’s Palmetto petroleum products Pipeline, why not stop Spectra’s Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline? You can sign the petition Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.

Jenny Jarvie, L.A. Times, 1 June 2015, Landowners form a pipeline rebellion in the Deep South,

“I’m trying to protect something that was passed on to me,” said Georgia resident Jimmy Helmly, who opposes the pipeline. “People from away from here, with no ties, just want to make a dollar. I understand. I believe in American capitalism. But why should I sacrifice so you can make billions?”

When the letter arrived from a Texas pipeline company Continue reading Texas pipeline invasion of Georgia in Los Angeles Times

Oregon citizen bursts pipeline company talking points

An Oregonian thoroughly explodes the standard pipeline script:

“I guess we could stand having a 232-mile IED in our backyard if it is really benefits the public. But who, exactly, is the public here?”

His Canadian pipeline moguls are actually both from Houston, Texas: Williams Company with its Washington Expansion Project (WEP) getting its fracked methane from Spectra Energy’s Westcoast Pipeline. Oh, this is another Williams pipeline: Pacific Connector, going to the same Jordan Cover LNG export terminal as WEP. The same Williams Company of Transco’s Hillabee Expansion Project to feed Spectra Energy’s Sabal Trail pipeline. The same Sabal Trail that’s suing a Georgia Centennial Family Farm tomorrow in Moultrie, Georgia. All the pipeline companies seem to follow the same script, including Kinder Morgan for its Palmetto Pipeline. And this Oregonian answered for all of us facing pipeline invaders.

Diarmuid McGuire, Ashland Daily Tidings, 22 January 2015, Guest Opinion: We’re Oregonians, but we’re not stupid, Continue reading Oregon citizen bursts pipeline company talking points