Tag Archives: Sabal Trail Transmission

FL Gov. Scott owned Spectra stock before his appointees backed Sabal Trail pipeline

July 21, 2014Environment, EPA, Ethics, FL PSC, Florida, Law, LNGAccess Midstream Partners, Beth Gordon, DCP Midstream Parterns, Ethics, Florida, Florida Gas Transmission, FPL, Gulfstream, Law, LNG, Politics, Port Everglades, Rick Scott, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

Rick Scott owned or owned stock in both existing and the proposed new fracked methane pipelines to Florida, according to a reporter, which could explain why when FPL said “frog” Scott’s appointees jumped to approve the Sabal Trail Pipeline. This doesn’t seem right to SpectraBusters president Beth Gordon. Does it seem right to you?

Dan Christensen wrote for the Miami Herald 21 July 2014, Gov. Scott had stake in pipeline firm whose $3 billion venture he and his appointees backed,

“The proposed project will need state regulatory and governmental agencies to understand and support this project,” said the proposal submitted by FPL vice president Sam Forrest.

Gov. Scott understood. In May and June 2013, he signed into law two bills designed to speed up permitting for what came to be known as the Sabal Trail Transmission — a controversial, 474-mile natural gas pipeline that’s to run from Alabama and Georgia to a hub in Central Florida, south of Orlando.

Five months later, Continue reading FL Gov. Scott owned Spectra stock before his appointees backed Sabal Trail pipeline →

Duke Energy doesn’t care whether Sabal Trail pipeline is ever built

July 16, 2014Citrus County, Economy, FL PSC, Florida, Marion Countyboondoggle, Citrus County, Duke Energy, Economy, FGT, FL PSC, Florida, Florida Gas Transmission, FPL, GNGS, Greenlaw, Gulfstream, Gulfstream Natural Gas System, John S. Quarterman, Marion County, Politics, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sierra Club, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Raining on Spectra’s pipeline parade, Duke Energy’s Citrus County power plant open house once again emphasized Duke doesn’t care if Spectra and FPL’s fracked methane pipeline is ever built. And it’s not just because of Duke’s power plant that natural gas prices may go up soon: Sabal Trail feeding methane to already-authorized LNG export operations in Florida would also push prices up. So why build that useless Sabal Trail boondoggle? Why build that Duke gas plant, for that matter; why not go straight to solar power in the Sunshine State?

Fred Hiers wrote for Ocala.com 14 July 2014, Utility will build plant with or without new pipeline, Continue reading Duke Energy doesn’t care whether Sabal Trail pipeline is ever built →

The evitability of Andrea Grover’s fracked methane pipeline

July 14, 2014Colquitt County, Economy, FERC, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, Law, LNG, Orange County, Solar, Suwannee CountyAndrea Grover, Colquitt County, Economy, eminent domain, FERC, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Landowner, Law, LNG, open-access, Orange County, permits, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, taxes, trespassJohn S. Quarterman

If they can’t even survey for it, they can’t build it, which may be why Andrea Grover just chanted desperately in three newspapers “the Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline is moving forward.” Nevermind almost everyone who has spoken up about it is against it. She didn’t say anything about taking your land for for profit for her company in Houston and for LNG export that would raise U.S. natural gas prices. But one thing she did say is why that can happen with no further permits if this pipeline should go forward.

Almost everybody opposed the pipeline at the “more than 50 open houses and public meetings” Ms. Grover bragged about in the Orlando Sentinel, in the Suwannee Democrat, and in the Moultrie Observer. She didn’t mention that opposition, but you can see it for yourself in these Continue reading The evitability of Andrea Grover’s fracked methane pipeline →

Greenlaw files Air Quality objections to Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline

July 14, 2014Compressor, Environment, Georgia, Hazards, Health, Law, Treesair quality, compressor, environment, GA EPD, Georgia, Greenlaw, Health, John S. Quarterman, Law, longleaf, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, TreesJohn S. Quarterman

Received today. Note this says Georgia EPD does have authority over an air permit for the Albany compressor station. State agencies do have direct as well as indirect roles. -jsq

Press Release
For Immediate Release
July 14, 2014

Sabal Trail Natural Gas Pipeline Threatens Air Quality in Southwest Georgia
GreenLaw files comments objecting to proposed natural gas pipeline
Atlanta, GA — Last week, additional concerns were raised about a proposed natural gas pipeline that threatens to cut across large swaths of Southwest Georgia, including longleaf pine tracts. GreenLaw, on behalf of a number of conservation groups, filed comments with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD) that raised objections about air quality along the pipeline, including a proposed compressor station outside Albany, Georgia. Continue reading Greenlaw files Air Quality objections to Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline →

Kinder Morgan tries stealth pipeline expansion in Massachusetts

July 12, 2014Economy, Environment, Fracking, Law, LNG, Massachusetts, SolarEconomy, environment, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, Law, LNG, Massachusetts, No Fracked Gas in Mass, Rolling March, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Tennessee Gas Pipeline, TGPJohn S. Quarterman

Spectra competitor Kinder Morgan is trying to fly under residents’ radar to gouge its hundred-foot Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP) right of way through Massachusetts. This is another $3 billion boondoggle that, like Spectra’ Sabal Trail pipeline through the southeast, could easily be replaced by solar power and conservation, which would keep LNG export from running up the price of existing methane gas supplies.

Nick Miller wrote for Nashoba Publishing 11 July 2014, Why Kinder Morgan fears an informed public,

Kinder Morgan is proposing to build a large, high pressure natural gas pipeline through 45 towns in Massachusetts, including Groton.

More than five month ago, agents of this company entered the town of Groton and began requesting that affected residents sign survey permission forms. They did not disclose Continue reading Kinder Morgan tries stealth pipeline expansion in Massachusetts →

Sabal Trail pipeline hearing in Leesburg, GA and WALB TV

July 11, 2014Environment, Georgia, Hazards, Law, Lee CountyAndrea Grover, environment, Georgia, Hazards, James Bell, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lee County, Leesburg, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Spectra’s squad of seven left Leesburg unsatisfied. The Bell family agreed to let pipeline surveyors on their land, with strict conditions, but there was no agreement on eminent domain, and Spectra will have to come back for a jury trial about trespass in Lee County, Georgia. The judge, perhaps emboldened by the fourteen protesters, some of whom drove as much as 9 hours to get there, refused to even call the surveying agreement a consent order; it will be a consent agreement. So Spectra’s Andrea Grover got nothing they can use against other landowners.

The above is some of what I saw at the Leesburg, GA courthouse yesterday. Wright Gazaway was there for WALB TV, with a letter from the judge permitting videoing in the courtroom; he reported yesterday, Lee County residents protest pipeline, Continue reading Sabal Trail pipeline hearing in Leesburg, GA and WALB TV →

Pipeline opponents converge on Leesburg, GA to help landowners countersue

July 8, 2014British Columbia, Canada, Florida, Georgia, Hendry County, Law, Lee County, LNG, McDuffie Countyassembly, First Amendment, Georgia, hearing, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lee County, outliers, petition, PR, redress of grievances, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBusters, trialJohn S. Quarterman

Landowners countersue fracked methane pipeline company; supporters converge on Leesburg, GA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Valdosta, July 8th 2014 — As far as 400 miles from Hendry County, Florida, people converge Thursday to support landowners in Lee County, Georgia as they countersue Sabal Trail Transmission about surveying without permission for a huge 36-inch fracked methane pipeline on a hundred-foot right of way.

Watershed groups including WWALS watershed coalition and Our Santa Fe River will be there, representing all the major tributaries of the Suwannee River, in this peaceful assembly to oppose the pipeline. Continue reading Pipeline opponents converge on Leesburg, GA to help landowners countersue →

Elba Island, GA LNG export

July 5, 2014Chatham County, Effingham County, FERC, Georgia, LNGChatham County, Effingham County, El Paso Pipeline Partners, FERC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, KinderMorgan, LNG, Sabal Trail Transmission, Shell, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

In case you thought LNG export was only for Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Massachusetts, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia, the fossil fuel companies want to push fracked methane out through Georgia, too. KinderMorgan’s Elba Island LNG export terminal, with its north-to-south Elba Island Express pipeline project, is already in the formal permitting process at FERC. And it could easily interconnect with Sabal Trail to get its fracked methane.

KinderMorgan’s Elba Liquefaction Project & EEC Modification Project, announced by Shell 28 January 2013, Shell and Kinder Morgan announce plans to export LNG from the United States, by El Paso Pipeline Partners LP, picked up by Alison Sider in the WSJ 19 December 2013, El Paso, Shell Unit Will Expand Elba Island LNG Project: $500 Million Expansion to Export More Gas from Terminal Near Savannah, Ga, and written up by Mary Landers for Savannahnow.com 14 March 2014, LNG export project moves forward,

Plans continue for $1.5 billion-worth of development at Elba Island to allow the liquefied natural gas import facility to reverse its processes and export the fuel. Southern LNG and Elba Liquefaction Co. filed a formal application for the project with federal regulators earlier this week.

The facility currently Continue reading Elba Island, GA LNG export →

Sustainable Spectra? Like healthy cigarettes?

July 5, 2014Colquitt County, Economy, Environment, Ethics, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hazards, Lowndes County, Marion County, Solar, TreesAndrea Grover, Brian Fahrenthold, cigarettes, Colquitt County, Dunnellon, Economy, environment, Ethics, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Greg Ebel, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, Marion County, methane, Moultrie, Sabal Trail Transmission, solar, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, sustainabile, Tobacco, Trees, Trenton, Valdosta, windJohn S. Quarterman

What company prints its sustainability report on wind-powered paper, yet pipes a greenhouse gas 20 times worse than CO₂? Yep, it’s Spectra Energy, also bragging about how respectful they are to Sabal Trail “stakeholders”. Selling fracked methane through a 36-inch pipe in a hundred-foot gash through forests and wetlands with a thousand-foot explosive radius is like selling cigarettes and claiming you’re for good health. Tobacco companies can’t get away with that any more, and why should fossil fuel companies?

On the very last page of a 16-page report, 2013 Sustainability Highlights Report, Spectra Energy says:

This paper is manufactured using clean, renewable wind-power energy and carbon offsets for additional savings.

That’s the only mention of wind or renewable energy in the document, while solar power is not mentioned even once.

And look at Spectra’s Purpose on page 2: Continue reading Sustainable Spectra? Like healthy cigarettes? →

Spectra Pipeline into Southern Swamps –Earth First!

June 30, 2014EPA, FERC, FloridaEarth First!, EPA, FERC, Florida, FPL, Hendry County, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, Seminole, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, swampJohn S. Quarterman

Opposition from the south end of the proposed pipeline route, from a group that has been opposing FPL fracked methane power plants since 2008.

Panagioti wrote for Earth First! Newswire 6 April 2014, Spectra Seeks Approval to Send Gas Pipeline into the Southern Swamps,

What would you do if a corporation got permits to build a time bomb on your land?

Rural communities across Alabama, Georgia and Florida are joining the chorus of people asking this all-too-familiar question.

But resistance to proposed fossil fuel pipelines has been growing… almost as frequent as the steady stream of disasters from existing pipelines.

New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, B.C., Ontario…. Each Continue reading Spectra Pipeline into Southern Swamps –Earth First! →