Tag Archives: Sabal Trail Transmission

FERC acceptance for Sabal Trail pre-filing PF14-01 2013-10-16

Environment, FERC, Law, , , , , , , ,

This is FERC’s Letter order approving Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC’s 10/4/13 Pre-Filing Request re the planned Sabal Trail Project under PF14-1. See also FERC refuses to release RFP for environmental contractor.

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20426

OFFICE OF ENERGY PROJECTS

In Reply Refer To:
OEP/DG2E/Gas Branch 3
Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC
Sabal Trail Project
Docket No. PF14-1-000

October 16, 2013
Ms. Lisa A. Connolly
General Manager, Rates and Certificates
Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC
2701 N. Rocky Point Drive, Suite 1050
Tampa, FL 33607

Re: Approval of Pre-Filing Request: Sabal Trail Project

Dear Ms. Connolly:

Thank you for your letter, filed October 4, 2013, requesting use of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC or Commission) pre-filing review process for Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC’s (Sabal Trail) planned Sabal Trail Project (Project). We believe that beginning the Commission’s review of this proposal prior to the receipt of your application will greatly improve our ability to identify issues early and address them in our environmental document.

As stated in your letter, Sabal Trail plans to: Continue reading FERC acceptance for Sabal Trail pre-filing PF14-01 2013-10-16 →

Sierra Club Chapters Oppose Sabal Trail Gas Pipeline

Alabama, Economy, Environment, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, Pennsylvania, Solar, Texas, Trees, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The nation’s oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization opposes the Sabal Trail pipeline. Sierra Club PR today (and read to FERC):

TRI-STATE SIERRA CLUB CHAPTERS OPPOSE GAS PIPELINE

Statement of the Georgia, Florida, and Alabama Sierra Club
Chapters Opposing the Sabal Trail Pipeline

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Contact:

Seth Gunning, Georgia Sierra Club, (404)-607-1262, seth.gunning@sierraclub.org
Bob Hastings, Alabama Sierra Club, bhastings@knology.net

ATLANTA, GA—The Georgia, Florida, and Alabama Chapters of the Sierra Club oppose the 650 mile Sabal Trail Transmission natural gas pipeline that would carry fracked natural gas extracted from Pennsylvania and Texas through Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC is a joint venture between Spectra Energy Partners, LLC and and NextEra Energy, Inc. Spectra Energy and its related companies have been fined repeatedly for safety and environmental violations throughout the United States including one fine of $15,000,000.

The proposed pipeline would cut a wide swath through pristine lands with resulting negative impacts on endangered species, critical wildlife habitat, invaluable wetlands, Continue reading Sierra Club Chapters Oppose Sabal Trail Gas Pipeline →

Lowndes County Democratic Party against Sabal Trail on WCTV

Georgia, Lowndes County, , , , , , , , , ,

Local TV covered a local political party’s opposition to the methane pipeline.

Winnie Anne Wright wrote for WCTV today, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission To Hold Public Meetings Concerning Sabal Trail Pipeline,

Some residents of Lowndes County are ready to tell the federal government exactly how they feel about a natural gas pipeline running through their back yards.

“The Georgia Democrats feel that there’s a moral obligation to leave the world as beautiful and majestic as we found it and the pipeline, it does not do that”, says Gretchen Quarterman, Chairman of the Lowndes County Democratic Committee.

The WCTV story also quotes Spectra’s Andrea Grover and gives the particulars of the Valdosta and Moultrie FERC Scoping Meetings. It adds this detail:

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is also accepting comments by mail at the following address:
Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street NE, Room 1A
Washington, DC 20426

Here’s the LCDP press release: Continue reading Lowndes County Democratic Party against Sabal Trail on WCTV →

No sense of security with pipeline next to your home –Carol Singletary

FERC, Georgia, Hazards, Lowndes County, , , , , , , ,

And don’t forget the FERC Scoping Meetings starting this week: today in Albany, tomorrow (Tuesday) in Valdosta, and Wednesday in Moultrie. You can testify to the federal agency that can deny this pipeline.

Shannon Wiggins wrote for WALB yesterday, Lowndes County woman opposes pipeline,

Carol Singletary lives in West Lowndes County and says she’s not in favor of a natural gas pipeline that would run across her property. She’s worried about child safety, and also has environmental concerns. She’s encouraging other landowners to voice their concerns, and hopes an alternate route is chosen.

“When you have it within 100 feet of your home, you cannot have any sense of security there. There are alternate routes that aren’t being considered. So I want to get those on the table and some strong considerations given to those,” said Carol Singletary.

Even if it’s not next to your home, your tax dollars will go to clean up any leak or explosion. So come speak up!

-jsq

Take the Pipeline Bull by the Horns: Georgia FERC Scoping Meetings

Colquitt County, Dougherty County, Economy, Environment, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, Law, Lowndes County, Meetings, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

PDF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Valdosta, 2 March 2014 — SpectraBusters invites everyone to take the pipeline bull by the horns this week in Albany, Valdosta, or Moultrie, at your only chances in Georgia to testify in front of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about Spectra Energy’s proposed Sabal Trail Transmission fracked methane pipeline. Plus SpectraBusters will hold a panel on the issues afterwards.

FERC Scoping Meetings:
This week’s calendar:
SpectraBusters Panel:
In Conjunction with:

FERC Scoping Meetings:

We hear these FERC Scoping meetings will all have the same format:

5PM Sabal Trail discussion pipeline representatives will be present.
6PM FERC presentation about the process.
Then citizens can speak at the podium one by one and have what they say transcribed by a court recorder for the Commission’s administrative record.

This week’s calendar: Continue reading Take the Pipeline Bull by the Horns: Georgia FERC Scoping Meetings →

Property rights and water: please deny the Sabal Trail methane pipeline –Tim Carroll, Valdosta City Council, 5th District

Corrosion, Environment, Explosion, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, Health, Law, Leak, Safety, Water, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Filed with FERC 3 March 2014; PDF -jsq

Tim Carroll, Valdosta, GA.

To: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

I am writing to you on behalf of citizens that live in my city council district. Specifically those that will be negatively impacted by the Sabal Trail methane gas pipeline. Please accept the following reasons why I oppose this project coming through our community.

  1. Eminent Domain laws refer to the greater good of the citizens of the community and/or state where this law is being used. Continue reading Property rights and water: please deny the Sabal Trail methane pipeline –Tim Carroll, Valdosta City Council, 5th District →

Pipeline Reader: Who, what, when, where, how, and why not the Sabal Trail methane pipeline

Alabama, Corrosion, Economy, Environment, Explosion, FERC, Florida, Fracking, Georgia, Hazards, Health, Law, Leak, Noise, Safety, Solar, Water, West Virginia, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Here’s PDF of a reader for county commissions and others who need to get up to speed on the pipeline. Feel free to add local material for your county commission or city council.

This pipeline reader contains:

About the Pipeline

Sabal Trail Pipeline Context maps —Spectra Energy and FPL — Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange www.l-a-k-e.org

Natural Gas Pipelines — www.foodandwaterwatch.org

Spectra Safety Violations — www.spectrabusters.org

Facts on Fracking — Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy (WACE) www.wiregrassace.org/

Local Governments Can Restrict Pipelines — www.spectrabusters.org

WV Polluter Files Bankruptcy — www.spectrabusters.org

Stranded Fossil Fuel Assets — www.spectrabusters.org

Solar Jobs — Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange www.l-a-k-e.org

How to File a Comment with FERC

Continue reading Pipeline Reader: Who, what, when, where, how, and why not the Sabal Trail methane pipeline →

Sabal Trail solar and wind misinformation

Alabama, Economy, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Solar, Trees, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A few weeks ago John Peconom of FERC referred me to Sabal Trail’s comments on solar power; something about all the area you’d have to clear to provide as much energy as that 36-inch pipeline. OK, I’ve looked, and it’s the same kind of disinformation Georgia Power used to spout about you’d need to clear an area the size of Atlanta to power Atlanta with solar power. Nevermind you already have an area that size: it’s called Atlanta! Rooftops, parking lots, streets, etc.: plenty of room. And Sabal Trail’s disinformation completely ignores that solar power (and wind) are growing far faster than methane energy production. If this is FERC’s justification for eminent domain to get fracked gas to Florida, it’s a very flimsy justification indeed. We shouldn’t expect anything more from a company that would profit by that eminent domain. But we should expect more from a tax-funded federal agency that is supposed to represent we the people.

Bear in mind that all new U.S. electric generation in September 2012 came from wind and solar. In October 2013 72.1% of all new U.S. capacity came from solar, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), using data from FERC itself. And FERC doesn’t even count the million solar rooftops that are going in.

In 10.3.3 Non-Gas Energy Alternatives in its Draft Resource Report 10: Alternatives (RR10), Sabal Trail correctly dismisses dirty and expensive coal, oil, and nuclear, and even hydro as major energy sources for flat Florida. However, what’s in there about wind and solar is just plain bogus. Continue reading Sabal Trail solar and wind misinformation →

EPA and Spectra knew about PCBs as early as 1985

Environment, Hazards, Law, Safety, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

That was four years before the record 1989 $15 million fine against Spectra (then Texas Eastern Transmission Corp.). What other safety problems does Spectra know that it’s not telling?

Philip Shabecoff wrote for the New York Times 17 March 1987, DATA SHOW E.P.A. DELAYED WARNING ABOUT PCB PERIL

The Environmental Protection Agency knew about PCB contamination at specific sites along the Texas Eastern pipeline as early as the autumn of 1985 but took no immediate action to protect public health at the sites, according to internal agency documents.

Agency officials had said that they were unable to act more quickly to deal with the contamination because they had insufficient information from the company.

In case you’re having trouble following all the name changes, Continue reading EPA and Spectra knew about PCBs as early as 1985 →

FERC Notice of Intent for Environmental Impact Statement and Scoping Meetings

Alabama, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Includes a list of Scoping Meetings in March 2014 (see SpectraBusters calendar), for all three pipelines: Transco Hillabee Expansion, Sabal Trail Transmission, and Florida Southeast Connection. On FERC’s website including PDF and Word used to produce the HTML below. -jsq

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION

Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC Docket Nos. PF14-1-000

Florida Southeast Connection, LLC PF14-2-000

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC PF14-6-000

NOTICE OF INTENT TO PREPARE AN

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE PLANNED

SOUTHEAST MARKET PIPELINES PROJECT,

REQUEST FOR COMMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES,

AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC SCOPING MEETINGS


(February 18, 2014)

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) that discusses the environmental impacts of the planned Southeast Market Pipelines (SMP) Project. The SMP Project is comprised of three separate, but connected, natural gas transmission pipeline projects: Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC’s (Sabal Trail’s) Sabal Trail Project in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida; Florida Southeast Connection, LLC’s (FSC’s) Florida Southeast Connection Project (FSC Project) in Florida; and Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC’s (Transco’s) Hillabee Expansion Project in Alabama. The environmental impacts of all three projects will be considered in one EIS, which will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process to determine whether the SMP Project is in the public convenience and necessity.


This notice, which is being sent to Continue reading FERC Notice of Intent for Environmental Impact Statement and Scoping Meetings →