Tag Archives: Sane Energy Project

FERC sides with Sabal Trail in DEIS: Surprise!

September 14, 2015Dougherty County, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Suwannee County, WaterAir, Albany, Beyond Extreme Energy, BXE, Carlton Fletcher, DEIS, Department of Environmental Protection, Dinorah Hall, Dougherty County, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, environment, fast, FERC, FL-DEP, Georgia, Hamilton County, John S. Quarterman, John Trallo, Pope Francis, Sane Energy Project, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, Suwannee River, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Anybody who thought FERC would do a real Draft Environmental Impact Statement is disappointed. But they shouldn’t be surprised: FERC, 100% funded by the industries they “regulate”, is a rubberstamp machine. But that’s no reason to give up. It’s reason to stand up, and take advantage of many more opportunities to stop the unnecessary, destructive, and hazardous Sabal Trail pipeline and get on with renewable solar and wind power.

Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 13 September 2015, FERC Sabal Trail ruling comes amidst protest: Group holds fasting vigil outside federal agency’s offices,

ALBANY — Even as a group started a fast in front of the agency’s Washington, D.C., offices and questions arose in Florida over the safety record of Spectra Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission made it clear this week that it had no intention of standing in the way of construction of the proposed Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Local opponents Continue reading FERC sides with Sabal Trail in DEIS: Surprise! →

Stopping fracking means stopping pipelines: Yoko Ono et al. in the New York Times

July 10, 2015FERC, Fracking, Hazards, New York, PennsylvaniaCompressor Free Franklin, Constitution Pipeline, FERC, Food and Water Watch, Fracking, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Josh Fox, New York, New York Times, Obama, Pennsylvania, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sane Energy Project, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Stop the Pipeline, Yoko OnoJohn S. Quarterman

Gasland posted on facebook a picture of an ad against fracking, pipelines, and LNG export in the New York Times 9 July 2015 by Yoko Ono, Gasland, Food and Water Watch, and many other groups. You can sign onto that letter here.

Everything it says applies as much to Alabama, Georgia, and Florida and the Williams-Spectra-FPL Transco-Sabal Trail-FSC fracked methane pipeline chain as it does to New York and Williams’ “Constitution Pipeline”. Here are a few excerpts:

By now the whole world knows that Fracking is bad for your health! It is bad for communities and it is bad for the climate. That is why I am so glad that New York State and Governor Andrew Cuomo banned fracking.

But now we are facing the gas industry who are still trying to Frack New York. The fracked gas industry wants to build a pipeline that would cut across New York state like a scar that never heals. It goes by the ridiculous and Orwellian name “The Constitution Pipeline”. How dare they!

We cannot allow another poisonous plan for our beautiful state that we all love.

We must stop fracking, which means we must not transport fracked gas across our state where it is headed for foreign export markets. The danger to our homes, is also Continue reading Stopping fracking means stopping pipelines: Yoko Ono et al. in the New York Times →

Community Bill of Rights against pipelines

July 20, 2014FERC, Law, PennsylvaniaAtlantic Sunrise Pipeline Project, CELDF, Community Bill of Rights, Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, corruption, FERC, FPL, Law, Sane Energy Project, Shale Justice Coalition, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Williams Company, zoningJohn S. Quarterman

Local governments can fight pipelines, even though FERC is funded by the companies it regulates and basically acts as a marketing firm for them, which is why FERC has only denied two pipelines. Pass a community bill of rights. And dare Spectra or FPL or Williams or whoever to challenge it in court.

John Trallo wrote for Sane Energy Project 7 July 2014, FERC and the Regulatory Trap

That is not to say that citizens should not get involved with the FERC regulatory process. You should, to get on record. You just have to also act outside the FERC process on the local municipality level to zone it out, or make it too expensive for the operator.

The ideal way to stop pipelines is by establishing a Community Bill of Rights that essentially “zones out” this kind of activity, or restricts it and establishes safety standards and set-backs in such a way that it is no longer economically worthwhile for an operator to build. The concept of a Community Bill of Rights has been championed by Continue reading Community Bill of Rights against pipelines →

Arrests at anti-fracking FERC sit-in protest

July 20, 2014FERC, Law, LNG, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginiaarrest, ccan, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Cove Point, DC, FERC, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, protest, Sane Energy Project, sit-in, SpectraBusters, VirginiaJohn S. Quarterman

225 years after the French Revolution began with the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, an activist dressed as the Statue of Liberty, a French gift to the United States, was one of 24 arrested in front of FERC, protesting fracking, pipelines, and LNG export.

Brandon Baker wrote for EcoWatch 14 July 2014, 24 Anti-Fracking Activists Arrested in Washington at First-Ever FERC Sit-In Protest,

Twenty-four anti-fracking activists were arrested Monday morning in Washington D.C. in protest of proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals in the U.S., according to environmental groups tweeting from the scene.

The protest centered on Cove Point, an export terminal that Continue reading Arrests at anti-fracking FERC sit-in protest →

March on FERC against Cove Point LNG exports 2014-07-13

July 20, 2014FERC, Law, LNG, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginiaccan, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Cove Point, DC, FERC, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sane Energy Project, SpectraBusters, VirginiaJohn S. Quarterman

Opposition to fracking, pipelines, and LNG export is nationwide and growing. One week ago, activists from Maryland, DC, and Virginia marched on Washington to demand an end to plans for exporting fracked methane from Maryland.

Mike Tidwell wrote for Chesapeake Climate Action Network (ccan) 15 July 2014, ALL ABOUT UNITY: THANK YOU AND ONWARD FROM THE STOP GAS EXPORTS RALLY,

Wow. On Sunday, the heat scorching the streets of DC was palpable. But, even more so, was the passion and power of our movement. THANKS to everyone who turned out to say NO to fracking, NO to gas exports at Cove Point, NO to runaway climate change, and YES to real clean energy solutions.

Click here to check out all the photos on Facebook, and share them to spread the word!

We know the gas industry is all about division — blasting apart the rock beneath our earth, running pipelines through our towns, and further disrupting our fragile climate — now to ship the gas overseas for higher profit.
Continue reading March on FERC against Cove Point LNG exports 2014-07-13 →

FERC hearing packed by activists

May 4, 2014FERC, Florida, Law, LNG, New YorkCheseapeake Climate Action Network, Constitution Pipeline, Cove Point, EPA, export, FERC, Florida, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Minisink, New York, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sane Energy Project, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

FERC’s rubberstamp machine may yet be held accountable by the citizens, and by other government agencies and courts that are taxpayer-funded, not by the industries they regulate like FERC.

Sane Energy Project posted 4 May 2014, Reportback: The Minisink Hearing, or, FERC Gets a Clue,

A court officer was asked if similar hearings were always as crowded. “Never,” he said. This is a trend that’s building. Before Spectra, the average number of interveners on any project was about 19. Now, it’s typical for there to be 300-500 interveners, and for thousands of comments to be filed. Lately, activists are getting under FERC’s skin even more, showing up repeatedly at hearings, Commission meetings, and soon, a rally in front of their offices.

Ted Glick, coordinator for Cheseapeake Climate Action Network, one of the main groups fighting the Cove Point LNG export terminal in Maryland, said, Continue reading FERC hearing packed by activists →

Pipeline Opposition Mounts –Shale Property Rights

January 24, 2014Alabama, Florida, Georgia, HazardsAlabama, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, No Gas Pipeline, Sabal Trail Transmission, Sane Energy Project, Shale Property Rights, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Spectra’s scent precedes it.

On Shale Property Rights 22 January 2014, Pipeline Opposition Mounts, Sabal Trail Pipeline – Spectra Energy’s Proposed Gas Transmission Pipeline Draws Citizen Opposition in 3 States: Georgia, Florida, Alabama
Spectra Energy Builds on its Reputation for Cynical Social Responsibility

Spectra Energy (NYSE: SE), the $5 billion pipeline and underground natural gas storage company, is now in a position where its reputation precedes it. When it holds community meetings to sell a proposed natural gas transmission pipeline, communities show up with pitchforks, figuratively speaking.

Despite airy promises about “stakeholder engagement” and commitment to “transparency and accountability,” word about Spectra Energy’s lack of responsiveness and ongoing problems at existing facilities is spreading to communities across states where it hopes to build more pipelines and compressor facilities.1, 2

For example, the Sabal Trail pipeline is a proposed 474-mile natural gas transmission pipeline Spectra Energy hopes to build through Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Current plans call for 7 large compressor stations along the pipeline route (to push’ the gas through).

This is a joint venture between Spectra Energy and NextEra Energy, Inc. The contractor is Florida Power & Light (the key recipient for the nat gas). For details, see the Sabal Trail Transmission website: http://www.sabaltrailtransmission.com/

It did not take “interstate” property owners long to mobilize. Here is a link to their energetic website: http://spectrabusters.org/ and one for their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/spectrabusters
Lessons from New York

Spectra Energy’s track record leaves a negative brand image across many states and in Canada.3

The article continues with lessons from New York, New Jersey, and some further comments about actions in Georgia and Florida. This, for instance, from Clare Donohue, a founding member of the Sane Energy Project in New York: Continue reading Pipeline Opposition Mounts –Shale Property Rights →