Tag Archives: Southern Natural Gas

Sabal Trail is proposiong an excessive number of crossings –Southern Natural Gas

Even another pipeline company can’t get critical information out of Sabal Trail. 300x102 Southern Natural Gas Company, L.L.C., a Kinder Morgan Company, in Sabal Trail is proposiong an excessive number of crossings, by Southern Natural Gas, for SpectraBusters.org, 24 July 2015 Eight months after it requested details on proposed crossings by Sabal Trail of its existing pipelines, Southern Natural Gas Company is tired of waiting. And for good reason; Sabal Trail’s crossings exponentially increase risks of corrosion, leaks, and explosions:

The operational concerns associated with the high number of crossings create the potential for significant cathodic protection system issues for both operators. Continue reading Sabal Trail is proposiong an excessive number of crossings –Southern Natural Gas

KMI playing same tricks for Palmetto as Sabal Trail did

This meeting format sounds like the Open Houses Sabal Trail held to snow and bully landowners. And notice it’s always “80 percent survey approval”, yet we never get to see any list of landowners? Plus pipeline companies are always working to improve their safety record, except it never seems to improve. See below for some recent highlights of KMI’s long lack of safety record.

T.J. Lundeen, North Augusta Star, 21 May 2015, Palmetto Pipeline of confusion: Session in North Augusta leaves many baffled, Continue reading KMI playing same tricks for Palmetto as Sabal Trail did

Kinder Morgan campaign contributions to GA Gov. Deal and Lt. Gov. Cagle

Kinder Morgan contributed to the campaigns of Georgia Governor Nathan Deal and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, and to numerous other elected officials, similar to Spectra Energy PAC and many other pipeline companies or associated political action committees. Could this have something to do with how Georgia state officials are not being very helpful to the citizens who overwhelmingly oppose both Kinder Morgan’s proposed Palmetto petroleum products pipeline through eastern Georgia and Spectra’s proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline through southwest Georgia? Could it explain why the Georgia government seems to be treating both pipelines as if they were public-private partnerships with the state?

Searching Georgia Campaign Finance Commission campaign records show Kinder Morgan (KMI) subsidiary Southern Natural Gas (SONAT) contributed to a whole bunch of people, including Casey Cagle: Continue reading Kinder Morgan campaign contributions to GA Gov. Deal and Lt. Gov. Cagle

No eminent domain for water-threatening unnecessary Sabal Trail pipeline –GA Rep. Dexter Sharper District 177

The state representative for Valdosta and parts of Lowndes County cited their two resolutions and enumerated lack of need for a pipeline, threatening letters from Sabal Trail, alternative routes next to a school, ill effects on business including on forestry and agriculture and private property valuations, potential sinkholes due to drilling under the Withlacoochee River, including on the preferred route, or anywhere in the fragile karst limestone containing the Floridan Aquifer, plus Spectra Energy’s own SEC filings say it doesn’t have insurance to cover the kinds of safety problems in Spectra’s own history nor those pointed out by Southern Natural Gas Company. Dexter Sharper noted local evidence that solar power is cheaper and safer, and echoed the Lowndes County Democratic Party in writing:

“…we have a moral obligation to leave our children and grandchildren with an earth as safe, beautiful, and majestic as the one bequeathed to us by our parents and grandparents.”

For all these reasons, on behalf of my constituents and the citizens of Lowndes County and the state of Georgia, I oppose the Sabal Trail pipeline anywhere in the County of Lowndes or the State of Georgia.

I urge that FERC reject any permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline, or at the very least move it entirely out of the State of Georgia.

Filed 7 January 2015 with FERC as Accession Number: 20150107-5100, “Comment of Dexter Sharper, Georgia State Representative, District 177, under CP15-17.” Continue reading No eminent domain for water-threatening unnecessary Sabal Trail pipeline –GA Rep. Dexter Sharper District 177

MGAG didn’t contact local governments before agreeing with Sabal Trail

Looks like Spectra is still making stuff up. Apparently Spectra got one of its usual pipeline distributors 300x225 Map, in MGAG Members, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 25 November 2014 to make a deal in Georgia for Sabal Trail without that distributor ever asking its own customers whether they needed the gas. This is very convenient for undercutting opposition to Sabal Trail’s threats of Georgia eminent domain, but not very useful to the named counties or to Sabal Trail’s own credibility.

Remember Sabal Trail’s FERC Filing in Docket CP15-17 said on page 11: Continue reading MGAG didn’t contact local governments before agreeing with Sabal Trail

Why accepting a natural gas easement is a bad deal

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. 300x162 Right-of-Way diagram, in Kinder Morgan Right-of-, by Kinder Morgan, 2 June 2008 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.

All bets are off if there’s a pipeline break

Continue reading Why accepting a natural gas easement is a bad deal

Needless risk through unnecessary crossings –SONAT to FERC about Sabal Trail

Disturbance of soil, exacerbating corrosion, needless risk through unnecessary crossings, and cutting corners through inappropriate boring methods: when even another pipeline company calls you out for those things, you’ve got a problem, Sabal Trail. And Southern Natural Gas just did that in ecomments to FERC.

SONAT should be worried about this after last week in Berrien County, Georgia:

Each crossing poses a risk during construction of the crossing as well as ongoing risks during operation and maintenance of the pipelines. Since the SNG pipeline must remain in service during construction of the crossings, each time Sabal Trail bores under, or cuts under, the SNG pipeline there is an increased risk that the integrity of the SNG pipeline will be compromised.

A humble county ditch puller broke SONAT’s pipeline on Bradford Road, resulting in Sheriff’s deputies from two counties, a city 911 vehicle, and an ambulance being scrambled, in addition to a fleet of Kinder Morgan vehicles. And me, since this break was only a few miles from my house, and the valve they used to turn off Berrien County is on my property. Neighbors I’ve known all my life were evacuated. One spark and they wouldn’t have had anything to come back to. And this was a 9 or 10-inch pipeline at 800PSI. Sabal Trail wants to run a 36-inch pipeline at twice the pressure, more than 20 times the gas. Why should any of us accept that risk for Sabal Trail’s corner-cutting profit?

You should have seen the face the Kinder Morgan rep on the spot pulled when I mentioned Sabal Trail. Now we can see spelled out what SONAT really thinks about their competitor, including: Continue reading Needless risk through unnecessary crossings –SONAT to FERC about Sabal Trail

It seems that they just draw lines at random –James Ryder via Sen. Marco Rubio

Florida’s other Senator just intervened with FERC on behalf of a landowner who has been trying to get reasonable solutions out of Spectra Energy since at least December. Sabal Trail is trying to force their unnecessary pipeline through this Brooks County, Georgia property among others that already have a gas pipeline: this one also already has an FPL power line. Why should FPL get to deface anybody’s property for both a power line and a pipeline while destroying wetlands and trees? Why do we think this will be the last pipeline if it is allowed to go in? As the Ryders ask, “If this was your farm, how would you like it divided?” How about not at all?

Filed with FERC 6 June 2014 as Senator Marco Rubio submits comments re the Southeast Market Pipelines Project under PF14-1. Florida Senator Bill Nelson intervened on behalf of Amelia Longley back on 1 November 2013.

Cover letter Continue reading It seems that they just draw lines at random –James Ryder via Sen. Marco Rubio

Proposal will devalue property to be virtually worthless –James Ryder to FERC

Filed with FERC 14 February 2014. His #2 is basically the same question Susan Waller didn’t even want to hear: if the Sabal Trail pipeline won’t damage property values, why doesn’t Spectra buy up all the affected property and resell it later at a profit? -jsq

James Ryder, Tallahassee, FL.

We own a plot of land on Spain Lane in Brooks Co GA. My issue is that no matter what is logical, SPECTER, seems to be very narrow minded and due to eminent domain they do not seem to under stand that there proposal will devalue the already encumbered property (Sonat gas line and an electric easement) to the point that the property will be virtually worthless. The Solutions below are reasonable and should be considered.

Emailed to Dan Miller Spectra.

I have had a the opportunity to look over your recent proposal on the pipeline route. It looks a bit chaotic. Although it solve one problem, it creates several others. Your recent problem now runs pipe helter schelter all over the remaining property. I have attached a map and a description of a proposal that I think would solve all of our problems.

Solution 1: From the point of intersection of the SONAT gas pipe line Continue reading Proposal will devalue property to be virtually worthless –James Ryder to FERC

Farmer and lower income folks are people –James & Tracy Ryder to FERC

Filed with FERC 2 December 2013:

James & Tracy Ryder, Tallahassee, FL.

Sirs:

We have been contacted by Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC regarding their proposed natural gas pipeline. In their contacts with us, they requested permission to survey our property in reference to one of the proposed corridors since we are already encumbered with the SONAT pipeline that run through the middle of our property. We were told that we should sign the consent because they would use eminent domain to access our property against our will if need be. In a public meeting we were told they were putting in a 24″ line that would provide gas to mid and south Florida. We have later learned that they are intending to put in a 36″ line that would not serve Florida, but would provide for exports from Florida. Sabal Trail has not been providing accurate, or clear information to the public regarding these pipeline endeavors. When we asked about alternate corridors, we were told they would not consider the alternate corridor that was originally proposed due to the fact that there were many people impacted.

Seriously, Brooks County may be the home to many a farmer and lower income folks, but I assure they are people and don’t deserve to be exploited for the potential gains in revenue and exportation of our limited natural resources. Continue reading Farmer and lower income folks are people –James & Tracy Ryder to FERC