Tag Archives: Suwannee River

Sabal Trail pipeline considered harmful for karst limestone Floridan Aquifer –FL-DEP

There’s no safe way for the yard-wide Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline through the fragile karst limestone containing the Floridan Aquifer, according to what Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection told FERC back in April. And what’s this about seven foot pipeline depth in Florida, while Spectra’s Andrea Grover complained in the Valdosta Daily Times about requests for five feet deep in Georgia?

FL-DEP points out that caves might not support a pipeline and testing or drilling could easily cause sinkholes. Plus blasting could change local hydrology.

The situation is actually worse than FL-DEP described. We don’t know that contamination couldn’t come from BCPs carried from Spectra’s Texas Eastern pipeline, or radon from the Marcellus Shale, in addition to the solvents FL-DEP mentioned. We don’t know the pipeline would carry only a gaseous product; it could be sold and used for something else. And as DEP says, it’s not just leaks that are the problem: the pipeline would require large amounts of testing water that would have to come from somewhere and go back somewhere, presumably contaminated with whatever was in the pipeline. What guarantee do we have that contamination wouldn’t go down those borings under our riverbeds?

Filed with FERC 18 April 2014 as four pages of the 74-page “Florida State Clearinghouse comments on Dockets # PF14-1, et al Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Planned Southeast Market Pipelines Project (Sabal Trail and Florida Southeast Connection Projects).” Some of it was also submitted to FERC by Florida’s Suwannee River Water Management District, but there is new material here; especially that superimposition map. Continue reading Sabal Trail pipeline considered harmful for karst limestone Floridan Aquifer –FL-DEP

Avoid highly sensitive water resource features –SRWMD to FERC

Filed with FERC 18 April 2014. Avoid karst limestone, unconfined aquifer, caves, springs, wetlands, drilling under rivers, blasting, or using groundwater for testing pipes or disposing of it afterwards, and where can a pipeline go?

SUWANNEE
RIVER
WATER
MANAGEMENT
DISTRICT

April 18.2014 Continue reading Avoid highly sensitive water resource features –SRWMD to FERC

Suwannee County Gas Pipeline Alert

Seen on Our Santa Fe River and Ichetucknee Alliance facebook pages today. Spectra Energy also proposed the Sabal Trail methane pipeline to go under the Withlacoochee River a second time just before it goes under the Suwannee River to enter Suwannee County. Why not just cross the Suwannee upstream of Ellaville where the Withlacoochee meets the Suwannee? Because that’s where Stephen Foster Folk Culture State Park is. Maybe the Withlacoochee, Suwannee, Ichetucknee, and Santa Fe Rivers are also important to the culture of the entire area.

Gas Pipeline Alert:

Tuesday, March 18th, 6 pm, Suwannee County BOCC

North Central Florida, here is the next public meeting about Sabal’s gas highway in Suwannee County, cutting under a Springshed in the Santa Fe River, about 1/2 mile from the confluence of the Ichetucknee River.

Speak to Board about your concerns with a gas highway through Suwannee County and the Santa Fe River, near the Ichetucknee River (.66 miles away from the confluence). Fill out a card to speak when you arrive. You will have 3 minutes to address the Board. read more here: http://www.suwanneedemocrat.com/suwannee/x787212730/Suwannee-County-Commission-meeting-agenda-for-March-18-2014

SUWANNEE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
JUDICIAL ANNEX BUILDING
218 PARSHLEY STREET SOUTHWEST
LIVE OAK, FLORIDA 32064
TENTATIVE AGENDA FOR March 18, 2014, 6:00 P.M.
“14. Discuss Sabal Trail gas line. (David Hanna) 5 minutes”

See also:

And the FERC Scoping Meetings move to south Central Florida that same day, Continue reading Suwannee County Gas Pipeline Alert

Live Oak and Branford Open Houses: Suwannee County and Levy County

This newspaper didn’t mention Suwannee County, Florida may be getting a compressor station. And remember, the proposed pipeline path crosses the Withlacoochee River a second time just before crossing the Suwannee River to enter Suwannee County.

All of the Open Houses required by FERC, are listed on the calendar. They resume Monday evening in Lumpkin, GA and Williston, FL. Before that, Monday morning, the Lowndes County Commission, Georgia, is having Spectra speak at their 8:30 AM Monday 9 December Work Session, to answer questions submitted in advance by the public.

Suwannee Democrat, 30 November 2013, Public invited to proposed gas pipeline open house events,

Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC will be hosting two open house meetings for the interested public to learn more about the underground natural gas pipeline project that is proposed to come through Suwannee County.

The public is invited to attend the meetings on Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Coliseum (11th Street/Fairgrounds) in Live Oak and on Wednesday, Dec. 4, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Branford High School (405 S Reynolds St., Branford).

They also included “As previously reported by the Suwannee Democrat”:

Natural gas pipeline to extend 40 miles in Suwannee County

500 landowners could be affected

By Bryant Thigpen

bryant.thigpen@gaflnews.com

Sabal Trail Transmission has announced their intent to construct a natural gas pipeline which will run approximately 40 miles in Suwannee County, according to Andrea Grover, spokesperson for Sabal Trail Transmission. Plans are underway to construct a natural gas pipeline from North Alabama to Central Florida and could be constructed as early as Summer 2016.

If the proposed map remains unchanged, the pipeline is about 470 miles long and will make its way through four Alabama counties, nine Georgia counties and 12 Florida counties, including Suwannee and surrounding Madison and Hamilton counties.

The pipeline will extend for approximately 40 miles in Suwannee County and approximately 500 landowners will be affected by this project. About 100 landowners in Hamilton County will be affected by this project as well.

“The routing is very much not set,” Grover said.

According to Grover, the current proposed route could change, but it will stay within the 600 feet corridor. Grover said the pipeline will run along existing rights-of-way for about 80 percent of the route. When construction begins, the pipeline’s projection path will be narrowed down to a 50 feet corridor.

Really? In Lowndes County, Georgia, at least, “run along” means side-by-side but not on the same easement, so many landowners get a second pipeline gash through their property if we let this happen. And why did Sabal Trail file with FERC all those detailed alternative maps including one for a “Hildreth Compressor Station, Suwannee County, Florida”?


Hildreth Compressor Station, Suwannee County, Florida, in Alternatives, by Sabal Trail Transmission,
for FERC Docket No. PF14-1-000, 15 November 2013, converted by SpectraBusters
SABAL TRAIL PROJECT, DRAFT RESOURCE REPORT 10, Alternatives, FERC Docket No. PF14-1-000, Initial Pre-Filing Draft, November 2013

-jsq