Tag Archives: private property

Movie online: At What Cost? Pipelines, Pollution and Eminent Domain in the Rural South

February 13, 2016Corruption, Economy, Environment, Ethics, Law, Solaraquifer, Brooks County, Chattahoochee River, Colquitt County, conservation, eminent domain, environment, Flint River, Floridan Aquifer, Hamilton County, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, landowners, Law, Live Oak, Live Oak Womans Club, Lowndes County, Mark Albertin, north Florida, Ochlockonee River, Okapilco Creek, Palmetto Pipeline, pipeline, pollution, private property, river, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Santa Fe River, south Georgia, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, Suwannee River, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USACE, watershed, Withlacoochee River, WWALS, WWALS Watershed CoalitionJohn S. Quarterman

Now streaming online: At What Cost? Pipelines, Pollution and Eminent Domain in the Rural South, by Mark Albertin. And yes, he’s happy for it to be shown elsewhere; just ask, and you can set up a local viewing like in Live Oak last night, or the previous premieres along the Georgia coast.

Most of the issues are the same for Spectra Energy’s invading Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline as for Kinder Morgan’s invading Palmetto petroleum products pipeline that is the subject of the movie. Thanks to Push Back the Pipeline for getting this movie made about Kinder Morgan’s proposed petroleum products pipeline from South Carolina across the Georgia coast to Jacksonville, Florida. Special thanks to Eileen, Lori, and Debra and the Woman’s Club of Live Oak for the movie showing last night, to WWALS Watershed Coalition and the Woman’s Club of Live Oak for hosting, and to Our Santa Fe River, and Gulf Restoration Network for helping promote it.

Don’t forget the hike to the Suwannee River Sabal Trail crossing 8:15 AM Thursday 28 February 2016 with Suwannee and Hamilton County Commissioners.

Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas wants to gouge Sabal Trail from Continue reading Movie online: At What Cost? Pipelines, Pollution and Eminent Domain in the Rural South →

Executive Order 13406: Protecting the Property Rights of the American People

April 24, 2014LawAttorney General, Department of Justice, Fifth Amendment, George W. Bush, Land Acquisition Section, Law, Natural Resources Division, private property, SpectraBusters, takingsJohn S. Quarterman

This document appears to say the federal government can’t take private property “merely for the purpose of advancing the economic interest of private parties”, which would seem to preclude federal eminent domain being applied for the Sabal Trail pipeline if its gas is really for export.

Executive Order 13406 of June 23, 2006,
Protecting the Property Rights of the American People,

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to strengthen the rights of the American people against the taking of their private property, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to protect the rights of Americans to their private property, including by limiting the taking of private property by the Federal Government to situations in which the taking is for public use, with just compensation, and for the purpose of benefiting the general public and not merely for the purpose of advancing the economic interest of private parties to be given ownership or use of the property taken. Continue reading Executive Order 13406: Protecting the Property Rights of the American People →

How does this pipeline benefit the public by taking land from the public?

February 5, 2014Economy, FERC, Hazards, Law, Safetycontract, Economy, eminent domain, FERC, funding, Hazards, jobs, John S. Quarterman, Law, Natural Gas Act, private property, Safety, SpectraBusters, taking, unionJohn S. Quarterman

Received Sunday on Stranded fossil fuel assets. -jsq

Governmental eminent domain powers have been growing for more than 115 years, to the point where courts have upheld the taking of property from one private owner for the purpose of transferring it to another, as long as it benefits the public. The Natural Gas Act delegates eminent domain powers to the pipeline companies, subject to court approval. However there’s no mechanism in place to dispute the taking. Things to consider:

How does this benefit the public by taking land from the public?
Is there an irrefutable study that shows this act of taking of private land is justifiable by needs other than capitalistic greed?
Also, what about the mineral rights of the property?
How many “pipes” or infrastructures can the Pipeline Company sell or lease access to other entities without any future benefits paid to the original land owners?
Are all Continue reading How does this pipeline benefit the public by taking land from the public? →

Follow a route that utilizes public right of ways –Keren Wynn to FERC

December 18, 2013Economy, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, Lowndes County, SafetyBrooks County, Economy, FERC, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, private property, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Filed with FERC 24 November 2013:

Keren Wynn, Valdosta, GA.
I understand the need for this pipeline, but I am very concerned about the associated safety risks and the negative impact it will have on private property owners in Lowndes and Brooks Counties. Our daughter’s best friend and her family are directly affected with the proposed pipeline being located just a few feet from their home. I have concerns for the safety of this family and for my daughter based on reports of numerous explosions of these types of pipelines in other areas. This pipeline will run through a rural area that is only served by volunteer fire departments that are not capable of handling this type of potential disaster. The focus for Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC is on profits and not for the safety or well being of residents of this area. The proposed route should not directly affect private land owners. This project should be required to follow a route that utilizes public right of ways. Thank you for your assistance.

How to comment with FERC.

-jsq