Tag Archives: Spectra Energy

Georgia has no use for new pipelines –AJC

April 6, 2015Colquitt County, Compressor, Dougherty County, Environment, Georgia, Law, Lowndes County, WaterAtlanta, Atlanta Gas Light, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Colquitt County, compressor, conservation, Coweta County, Dalton Expansion Project, Dan Chapman, Dan Coleman, Don Theime, Dougherty County, environment, Georgia, Greenlaw, Houston, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lowndes County, Palmetto Pipeline, Palmetto Project, pipeline, Push Back the Pipeline, river, Sabal Trail Transmission, Savannah Riverkeeper, south Georgia, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Steve Caley, Ted Turner, Texas, Transco, Water, watershed, Williams Company, Withlacoochee River, WWALS, WWALS Watershed CoalitionJohn S. Quarterman

Four pipeline projects surround Atlanta, and Georgia’s governor won’t comment. Spectra’s Andrea Grover did, though, saying the Albany compressor station would be no louder than “a modern-day dishwasher.”

Dan Chapman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3 April 2015, Pipeline project fuels fight on state’s future,

VALDOSTA — Southwest Georgia is roiling mad over a proposed gas pipeline to Florida that virtually nobody in Atlanta, except Ted Turner, has heard about.

John Carlton looks over a gopher tortoise hole a few feet away from a 1954 easement for an 8 inch natural gas line on his property at Morrison Pines Plantation in Moultrie. The planned Sabel Trail pipeline would run 50 feet over from the existing line. Carlton is undecided on the proposal.
Photograph credit: Curtis Compton, AJC

Electric Power & Light has more of the text: Continue reading →

Grasping at semicolons: Sabal Trail fail in Leesburg

March 25, 2015Georgia, Law, Lee Countyeminent domain, evidentiary, fraud, Georgia, hearing, John S. Quarterman, jury, Law, Lee County, Mitchell County, propaganda, puppeteer, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Semicolons and disjunctive ands vs. propaganda, subterfuge, and fraud yesterday in Leesburg, GA, and evidentiary briefs will be received by the judge over the next 20 days.

After patiently listening to Spectra attorneys detail how a 1920s version of Georgia pipeline eminent domain law had a semicolon that they claimed separated “in the State of Georgia” from their pipeline, Judge Smith later remarked that the legislature passing a bill that removed the semicolon could be used to infer that they intended to remove the semicolon. Sabal Trail also tried to argue that the “and” in the same sentence was a disjunctive that similarly separated. The judge seemed more interested in the basic question: does Sabal Trail provide gas to customers within the State of Georgia?

The landowners’ attorney made it even more interesting, referring to Continue reading Grasping at semicolons: Sabal Trail fail in Leesburg →

Justice was served at last for the Seneca Lake protesters

March 19, 2015Fracking, Hazards, History, Law, New York, Trees, WaterFracking, John S. Quarterman, Law, New York, Reading, Sabal Trail Transmission, Schuyler County, Seneca Lake, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Watkins GlenJohn S. Quarterman

This, Sabal Trail, is what a historical precedent looks like. They protested fracked methane storage, were arrested, charged, and the charges were just dismissed with prejudice, which means they case can’t be brought back on those charges. Everything they said about Seneca Lake applies equally to the Sabal Trail pipeline, the Palmetto Pipeline, Elba Island LNG export, and the rest of the whole cash-out-before-the-carbon-bubble-pops fossil fuel boondoggle.

Sometimes, in good conscience, citizens must engage in non-violent acts of civil disobedience to protect our sacred trust.

Surveying for the unnecessary, destructive, and hazardous Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline is not “imperative”, no matter how many threatening letters Sabal Trail sends. These are our sacred trust: Continue reading Justice was served at last for the Seneca Lake protesters →

Eminent domain final notice from Sabal Trail

March 17, 2015Georgia, Law, Lowndes Countyeminent domain, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Kitty Maidens, Law, Lowndes County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

How many landowners has Sabal Trail sent final notices like this?

Update 2015-03-23: Added transcription; see more background here and you can write to the Clerk of Superior Court in Leesburg, GA against a possible summary judgement for surveying eminent domain in a hearing Tuesday morning 11:30 AM March 24th 2015.

It is imperative that Sabal Trail begin performing the remaining surveys. Please consider this letter as Sabal Trail’s final request for permission to conduct the surveys on a portion of your property…. Please note that Georgia statute O.C.G.A. 22-3-88, sets forth survey authority as related to this Project which has been affirmed in Georgia Court.

Imperative for a company from Houston to profit by gouging through local land and under our rivers and maybe into our aquifer. Not imperative for those of us who live here.

And the only Georgia court decision I’ve heard of is Continue reading Eminent domain final notice from Sabal Trail →

Post a bond if Palmetto Pipeline is not for export –Steve Willis to Kinder Morgan in Savannah

March 14, 2015Chatham County, Duval County, Economy, Florida, Georgia, Law, LNGChatham County, Claudia Collier, demand, Duval County, Economy, Elba Island, Florida, Georgia, Jacksonville, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, Law, LNG, Palmetto Project, prices, Sabal Trail, Savannah, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Steve WillisJohn S. Quarterman

Calling their bluff at their very first “public hearing”, longtime environmental activist Steve Willis told Kinder Morgan that if they didn’t want the public to believe that their pipeline is for export, when it so conveniently runs past KM’s proposed Elba Island LNG export terminal and to Jacksonville where Jaxport is gearing up for LNG export, they should post a $100 million bond. Watch the KM rep’s face as soon as Steve says “export”; sure looks like “OMG, he’s on to us!”

Steve noted there is no local demand for KM’s petroleum products, and exports drive up local prices anyway. You don’t have to believe Steve, you can believe Continue reading Post a bond if Palmetto Pipeline is not for export –Steve Willis to Kinder Morgan in Savannah →

Revoke pipeline eminent domain –bill by Nebraska state Senator

March 14, 2015Law, Nebraskaeminent domain, Ernie Chambers, John S. Quarterman, Keystone XL, Law, LB473, Nebraska, Sabal Trail, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, TransCanadaJohn S. Quarterman

It’s time to revoke laws that support the foreign aristocracy of invading fossil fuel companies.

Unicameral Update, 13 March 2015, Bill would revoke eminent domain for pipelines,

Oil and gas companies could no longer exercise eminent domain in Nebraska under a bill heard by the Judiciary Committee March 11.

LB473, introduced by Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, would repeal two provisions of the Major Oil Pipeline Siting Act: the right of eminent domain granted to oil and gas companies and the requirement that they seek approval of the governor when siting a major oil pipeline….

The act, approved by the Legislature during a 2011 special session, was designed to provide a regulatory framework for siting oil pipelines in the state. It was amended in 2012 to give the governor authority to approve major oil pipeline routes.

Concern over the state’s pipeline regulations was prompted by TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry crude oil from Canada to Gulf Coast oil refineries. The pipeline’s original route would have traversed the Ogallala Aquifer and Nebraska Sandhills.

And why should eminent domain apply anywhere to Spectra Energy’s proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline to LNG export in Florida, through our drinking water Floridan Aquifer?

Chambers said his bill is Continue reading Revoke pipeline eminent domain –bill by Nebraska state Senator →

FERC trusts pipeline companies to self-regulate: result…

March 3, 2015Environment, FERC, Hazards, History, Law, Safety, Waterenvironment, Exxon Valdez, FERC, Hazards, History, Iroquois Gas Transmission System L.P., Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company, John S. Quarterman, Law, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, streams, U.S. Department of Justice, Water, wetlandsJohn S. Quarterman

In one case:

“In the largest penalty in an environmental case since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Connecticut-based Iroquois Pipeline Operating Company will pay $22 million in criminal and civil fines for violating federal environmental and safety laws, the United States announced today [23 May 1996].
The company and four of its high-level officers and supervisors pleaded guilty to numerous criminal violations of the Clean Water Act including failure to clean up or restore damage to nearly 200 streams and wetlands as a result of rushing to meet construction deadlines.”

That’s even larger than the U.S. EPA fine of $15 million in 1989 against Spectra’s Texas Eastern Pipeline for spilling PCBs at 89 sites, although not when you add in the $18.6 million fine by Pennsylvania plus $200 million for cleanup.

Yet Iroquois Gas Transmission System L.P. touts Continue reading FERC trusts pipeline companies to self-regulate: result… →

Sabal Trail contractor yards

March 2, 2015Alabama, Economy, Environment, Florida, Georgia, WaterAlabama, contractor yards, Economy, environment, Florida, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

It’s not just the pipeline or the compressor stations: Sabal Trail has filed maps of contractor yards, some of them miles away from the pipeline path, at least one next to an airport (Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia).

Filed with FERC as Accession Number: 20150220-5131, “Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC submits supplemental information on adopted alternatives and information on other reroutes and modifications under CP15-17.”, RR1_Vol-II-A_FIGURE-1.1-2_YARDS.PDF and RR1_Vol-II-A_FIGURE-1.1-3_YARDS.PDF. Continue reading Sabal Trail contractor yards →

FERC tells Sabal Trail to fix 17 pages of errors

March 2, 2015Alabama, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, Law, Safety, WaterAlabama, Economy, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hazards, John Peconom, John S. Quarterman, karst, Law, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Santa Fe River, sinkhole, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee River, Water, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

John Peconom of FERC has told Sabal Trail to provide copious detailed information by 27 March 2015, including numerous items about karst limestone, such as:

Utilize publicly available LiDAR data and cave information to further characterize karst areas crossed by the Project facilities.

and

Provide summary assessments of the Direct Pipe, open cut, aerial, and intersect crossing methods as alternatives to the proposed HDD crossings of the Withlacoochee River in Brooks and Lowndes Counties, Georgia and the Suwannee River, Santa Fe River, and Withlacoochee Rivers in Florida. Also, summarize any modified HDD techniques/methods considered at these specific crossings.

Is this just FERC helping one of its funding organizations (FERC is 100% funded by the industries it “regulates”)? Or maybe even FERC is getting tired of Sabal Trail?

Filed with FERC 27 February 2015 as Accession Number: 20150227-3071, “Letter requesting Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC to file within 30 days the Environmental Information Request for the Sabal Trail Project under CP15-17.” Continue reading FERC tells Sabal Trail to fix 17 pages of errors →

Port Dolphin LNG import to Florida from Louisiana and Texas?

February 22, 2015FERC, Florida, LNG, Louisiana, Maryland, TexasCove Point, FERC, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, FSC, Gulfstream Pipeline, Hoegh LNG AS, John S. Quarterman, LNG, Louisiana, Maryland, Port Dolphin, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Texas, Williams CompanyJohn S. Quarterman

Our old friend Port Dolphin is back asking LNG import competing with or displacing Sabal Trail’s fracked methane pipeline, this time possibly shipping gas across the Gulf of Mexico from U.S. LNG export facilities.

Back in 2009 Port Dolphin got FERC approval for LNG import, but then there was a big recession, and the “shale gas revolution” (fracking) happened, resulting in most LNG import facilities filing for LNG export instead. But Port Dolphin wants to continue with imports, as Joe Fisher wrote for Natural Gas Intelligence, 20 October 2014, Would-Be Florida LNG Importer Sees Promise in Cross-Gulf Trade,

Florida does not have indigenous gas supply and historically has been served by two interstate natural gas pipeline with a third one planned, Sabal Trail (see Daily GPI, Oct. 24, 2013). Recently announced is a related north-to-south intrastate pipeline project (Florida Southeast Connection) (see Daily GPI, Oct. 10).

Rather than turn its LNG import project around to export liquefied U.S. gas — as other would-be import terminal developers/operators have done — Port Dolphin, which is a unit of Norway’s Hoegh LNG AS, still wants to make a go of importing LNG. It told FERC the project could even regasify domestically sourced LNG from the Gulf of Mexico, for instance.

Translation: Continue reading Port Dolphin LNG import to Florida from Louisiana and Texas? →