Tag Archives: Transco

Pipelines don’t age, and we have no idea why Transco blew up (again) –Williams Co.

How do they say these things with a straight face?

Although the pipeline that ruptured was at least 4 decades old, company officials say pipelines don’t age —

Sure and their bathrooms don’t require air vents, because they don’t stink.

…and its maintained according to federal standards.

As in the standards the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Agency (PHMSA) told Williams Co. to follow back in September 2012, before fining it for not doing so? The PHMSA standards that are so poor that Continue reading Pipelines don’t age, and we have no idea why Transco blew up (again) –Williams Co.

Georgia has no use for new pipelines –AJC

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 Georgia has no use for new pipelines –AJC

Obama to move to cut methane emissions

EPA regulations are not just for coal anymore, emphasizing that fracked methane pipelines are not the answer: how about we go straight to sun and wind power? Today we’ll see how serious president Obama is about methane emissions. Meanwhile, there’s already an opportunity to comment on an EPA methane rule proposed in December.

Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian, 13 January 2015, Barack Obama moves to cut methane emissions by almost half: Environmental Protection Agency will cut oil and gas industry methane emissions as president seeks to bolster climate legacy,

The new methane rules “ which will be formally unveiled on Wednesday—are the last big chance for Obama to fight climate change.

The Environmental Protection Agency is aiming to cut methane emissions by up to 45% from 2012 levels by 2025, White House officials told campaigners during a briefing call.

But it was not clear whether the new rules would apply to existing oil and gas installations, in addition to future sources of carbon pollution, which could Continue reading Obama to move to cut methane emissions

Sabal Trail is an insurgent invader; pipeline opponents are environmental patriots

The pipeline companies are invading insurgents, acting against the stated directions of local elected governments. Pipeline opponents, fighting for their land, water, air, safety, and children, are patriots.

Merriam Webster defines insurgent as:

a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government

Five Six counties and two cities in Georgia and Florida have so far passed resolutions against the Sabal Trail pipeline, and four state representatives have complained to FERC about it: here’s a list. That’s in addition to the other state and federal agencies that have complained to FERC. And in addition to the hundreds of individuals who have spoken at Sabal Trail’s Open Houses and FERC’s Scoping Meetings, overwhelmingly opposing the pipeline. And in addition to the numerous landowner, environmental, and political organizations that have passed resolutions, filed with FERC, and in many cases intervened with FERC against Sabal Trail’s application for a permit.

So if you see the people willing to put their time, money, and in many cases their freedom on the line; when you see the media call them insurgents, you know it’s a lie. Like Americans against invading redcoats, pipeline opponents are patriots.

One of many lies deliberately promoted by the fossil fuel industry. Eamon Javers wrote for CNBC 8 November 2011 Oil Executive: Military-Style ‘Psy Ops’ Experience Applied, Continue reading Sabal Trail is an insurgent invader; pipeline opponents are environmental patriots

A flood of motions to intervene filed: still two days to go to Sabal Trail deadline

The trickle turns to a flood of motions to intervene being filed for the FERC dockets of Sabal Trail, Transco’s Hillabee Expansion Project, and Florida Southeast Connection. Two elected county governments have filed, one of them in all three dockets. Other counties and cities and even states can dod the same.

Be sure to file in all three dockets: CP15-17, CP15-16, and CP14-554. It’s not enough to list them in your filing documents or description: you must file them on each docket. If you don’t find your filing in FERC’s docket search for each of the three dockets, you need to go back and file again in the other dockets. Here’s how to file for multiple dockets in a single Continue reading A flood of motions to intervene filed: still two days to go to Sabal Trail deadline

FERC filing deadline 24 December 2014 –VDT

The newspaper of record in the county seat of the most populous county along the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline path between Auburn and Gainesville reminds everyone of the Christmas Eve filing deadline.

Joe Adgie, Valdosta Daily Times, 19 December 2014, Deadline nears for pipeline comments,

Residents wanting to file comments with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about the Sabal Trail pipeline have until Dec. 24 to do so….

Continue reading FERC filing deadline 24 December 2014 –VDT

Southern Company Services intervenes in Sabal Trail at FERC

A subsidiary of Southern Company, parent of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, and Gulf Power (Florida) has filed a motion to intervene in FERC docket CP15-17 for Sabal Trail Transmission’s pipeline:

Southern Company “SCS is a current customer of Transco, and the operations of Sabal Trail will traverse the Alabama, Florida and Georgia service territories of SCS’s operating affiliates.”

Filed with FERC 17 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141217-5122, Continue reading Southern Company Services intervenes in Sabal Trail at FERC

Florida Gas Transmission intervenes in Sabal Trail CP15-17

How simple a motion to intevene can be: organization name, contacts, and Basis for Intervening. Filing to intervene gets your foot in the door for any further filings or legal actions or participation in hearings. It does not require filing major legal documents at the outset (or ever). It does require filing your motion to intervene by 24 December 2014. It would be prudent not to wait until the last day: you never know when FERC’s efiling system might be down.

This motion to intervene is by Sabal Trail’s competitor Florida Gas Transmission, which is, according to Kinder Morgan:

The Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) pipeline is an approximately 5,500-mile system that transports natural gas from south Texas to south Florida. FGT is owned by Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC, a 100% owned subsidiary of Citrus Corp. Citrus Corp is a 50/50 joint venture between Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI) and Energy Transfer.

FGT didn’t mention in this filing, but it knows sinkholes. Just a year ago FGT had to move its pipeline off of the famous 25-acre sinkhole in Assumption Parish, Louisiana.

Filed with FERC 9 December 2014 as Accession Number: 20141209-5136, “(doc-less) Motion to Intervene of Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC under CP15-17.” Continue reading Florida Gas Transmission intervenes in Sabal Trail CP15-17

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

Williams Company formal filing CP15-16 for Hillabee Expansion Project

Transco’s formal FERC filing of 18 November 2014 isn’t online and the visible “supplement” is almost entirely privileged and hidden from the public, with no new maps or any other new information visible to the public. Why? Because Transco’s ability to compete is more important to FERC than the public’s right to know what this invader from Houston wants to do to local lands:

“These hydraulic flow model files models are proprietary and include competitively sensitive data regarding Transco’s market-area system design and flow conditions, disclosure of which to Transco’s competitors could cause substantial harm to Transco’s continuing ability to compete for new markets and firm transportation commitments.

So, as predicted, Transco has filed, and PF14-6 is of no further use, replaced by Docket number CP15-16.

Accession Number: 20141119-5018, “Supplement to November 18, 2014 Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC application for a CP&N [Hillabee Expansion Project – Hydraulic Flow Model Files] under CP15-16.” is quoted below, and Accession Number: 20141119-5019 has twelve (12) PDF files all marked “PRIVILEGED – Transco ? Hillabee Expansion Project ? Supplemental Information”.

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC
Continue reading Williams Company formal filing CP15-16 for Hillabee Expansion Project