Dear SpectraBusters and Allies,
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks to all who get out on the street, into the halls of government, or on the media: public awareness is the key to winning this fight.
Thanks to all who quietly and often anonymously help Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving!
Have Dougherty and Colquitt County sold us out to Sabal Trail?
Sabal Trail’s FERC filing seems to say so.
One day after Transco’s Hillabee, Sabal Trail filed CP15-17 21 November 2014 in ten submissions with dozens of PDF files. So Andrea Grover’s “sometime later this year” turns out to be today.
The first submission alone is 581 pages, none of which mention any of the words solar or photovoltaic, nor LNG or export, according to a PDF search. A search for privileged finds that, though. Continue reading Sabal Trail formal FERC filing CP15-17
SpectraBusters op-ed published by Ocala newspaper.
And the Sabal Trail pipeline still don’t pass the smell test.
Ocala Star-Banner, 16 November 2014, Sabal Trail pipeline not in the public interest.
Illustrated version, with links to the evidence: It don’t pass the smell test: FPL’s extra natural gas pipeline —SpectraBusters.
-jsq
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.
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
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
FERC can’t even say how many pipelines have been approved, rejected, or went forward even if approved; no wonder they’re being scrutinized.
Hannah Northey, E&E, 3 November 2014,
FERC faces heightened scrutiny as gas projects proliferate,
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission these days is drawing a crowd of companies promoting projects linked to the U.S. natural gas boom and protesters who say the agency blithely greenlights too many pipelines, export terminals and other gas infrastructure.
Foes of a FERC-approved export terminal at Cove Point, Md., recently rallied Continue reading FERC nervous about being watched
EIA’s summary: “Increased LNG exports lead to increased natural gas prices”.
How can that be “consistent with the public interest”
when there’s a cheaper, faster, cleaner, and safer way that would not
push domestic natural gas prices up, namely solar and wind power?
So even if the Sabal Trail pipeline wouldn’t take your land,
risk your family and drinking water, or cost your taxes to pay for any
leaks or explosions, if it exports through even those
three already-authorized LNG export operations where it leads in Florida,
it would run up the price of natural gas in the U.S.
You don’t even have to believe
T. Boone Pickens:
you can read this eia report that was commissioned by the very same
Office of Fossil Energy that authorized those three LNG export operations.
U.S. Energy Information Administraiton, 29 October 2014, Effect of Increased Levels of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports on U.S. Energy Markets, Continue reading LNG exports would drive up domestic natural gas prices
On the same day, the Suwannee Democrat posted a fluff piece from a PR firm for Sabal Trail
and
actual reporting from the recent Open House in Jasper, FL
that gives some answers Sabal Trail did not.
They’re both well worth reading, the first for its absolute certainty
of safety, cleanliness, and no export, and the second for its actual
evidence of hazards, record of safety failures, and already-authorized LNG export operations.
Oh, and Ms. Grover admitting route changes (caused by objections)
blew her end-of-October filing date.
The second for opponents attempting to get answers from Sabal Trail
and having to get them from other protesters who have done the research
Sabal Trail denies can be done.
The “epitome of ignorance and greed” indeed.
Please go read. Continue reading Sabal Trail PR countered by actual information in the Suwannee Democrat
Beth Gordon told a Gainesville, FL TV reporter 1500 feet from her home is still too close for the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline. And since they moved it off her property, they won’t entertain any compensation. Same for you, if a pipeline blows up in your county or state like one did in neighboring Gilchrist County, Florida in 2012: you get no compensation, but your taxes may have to pay for emergency responders, hospitals, etc.
Jesse Pagan reported Wednesday 22 October 2014 for WCJB TV, Natural Gas Pipeline Concerns, Levy County,
“It would destroy the whole way of life here in Levy County.”
“I never gave them permission, yet I came home one day and they’d cut into my locked gate. I don’t know how they did it. I think they climbed over my fence. There were surveyor stakes all over my property.
First they wanted to put it on my property. Now they’ve moved it onto the farm next door.
The reporter said that’s about 1500 feet from her property, “Too close for her comfort.”
“And because the property isn’t physically right on our property, they will not entertain payment for it.
The reporter mentioned her petition to the Florida Public Service Commission (FL-PSC) Continue reading Sabal Trail surveyed without permission –Beth Gordon on WCBJ TV