Tag Archives: WALB

Dougherty County passed a resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline

October 28, 2014Dougherty County, Environment, FERC, Georgia, SafetyAlbany, Albany Herald, burden of proof, Dougherty County, environment, FERC, FPL, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, need, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WALB, WFXLJohn S. Quarterman

Sabal Trail has not met its burden of proof of need, and its pipeline would be hazardous to environment and safety, resolved the Dougherty County Commission Monday. And now news media call it the “the pipeline fight” and the “controversial pipeline”. Visitors to Albany tell me people now bring up the pipeline unprompted in conversation. Last week’s very bad media week for Sabal Trail continues to get worse this week.

Franklin White, WFXL, 27 October 2014, Another step in the pipeline fight,

Officials say in the past year they’ve written four letters to Sabal Trails on behalf of Dougherty County citizens and businesses.

They say after the September meeting when Sabal Trail officials came to Dougherty County to explain why they chose SWGA to build the pipeline, County Commissioners found pipeline would do more harm than good.

Dougherty County Attorney Spencer Lee says, “they found there is no need for it and it’s likely to harm the environment and our socio-economic and culture activities.”

Continue reading →

WALB in Albany, GA notices New England Spectra pipeline plans

July 3, 2014Dougherty County, FERC, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nova ScotiaAlbany, Algonquin, Bill Yardley, Dougherty County, EIA, FERC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Maine, Maritimes, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, New England, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Nova Scotia, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WALBJohn S. Quarterman

A Spectra is haunting New England and the Canadian Maritimes, as well as the U.S. southeast, seeking every market for its fracked methane pipelines, sliming lands along the way. Local media are starting to pay attention to the big picture, not just the local hauntings, such as Spectra’s proposed Sabal Trail Transmission 36-inch 100-foot right of way gash through the southeast. Spectra didn’t say, but those markets could include LNG export from Excelerate Energy’s Northeast Gateway in Massachusetts Bay or the proposed Goldboro LNG export terminal in Nova Scotia. If LNG export happens, the price of “natural” gas in the U.S. and Canada will go up.

WALB TV in Albany, GA ran this PR from Spectra Energy 1 July 2014, Spectra Energy Announces Plans to Further Expand New England Pipeline Systems; Continue reading WALB in Albany, GA notices New England Spectra pipeline plans →

News about yesterday’s Sanford Bishop pipeline listening session in Albany, GA

April 18, 2014Agriculture, Dougherty County, Georgia, Health, Law, Safety, WaterAgriculture, Albany Herald, aquifer, Dougherty County, Fox 31, Georgia, Government, Health, John S. Quarterman, Law, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Sanford Bishop, sinkhole, SpectraBusters, WALB, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Here are two news reports (oddly, WALB doesn’t seem to have filed one) on yesterday’s listening session with U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02). These are brief extracts; there’s more in each article.

Cody Long wrote for Fox 31 yesterday, Deadline nears to hear pipeline comments,

There were about 50 people who showed up to the Government Center in downtown Albany. Some voiced their concerns to commissioners and the congressman about the Sabal Trail Transmission Gas Pipeline Project.

The pipeline would run through 24 miles of Dougherty County and would be capable of transporting up to one billion cubic feet of natural gas each day.

However, it would run through portions of privately owned land which Continue reading News about yesterday’s Sanford Bishop pipeline listening session in Albany, GA →

Sabal Trail same old at Albany FERC Scoping Meeting

March 8, 2014Agriculture, Dougherty County, Economy, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, WaterAgriculture, Agrriculture, Albany, Andrea Grover, Dougherty County, Economy, Explosions, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, John Peconom, John S. Quarterman, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, WALB, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Spectra is claiming to have learned lessons from their safety record they previously repeatedly claimed they were not familiar with.

Josh Rhoden reported for WALB 3 and 4 March 2014, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission holds pipeline hearing,

Guenevere Perry and her mother Dianne came out to Monday night’s meeting, they’re worried about the effect the pipeline may have on their property value.

“Some of the concerns that would be more imminent to citizens in the area would be property value,” said Guenevere Perry.

Critics say Spectra energy, one of the companies involved in the project, has had three major explosions in Oklahoma, Canada, and Nebraska. But Andrea Grover with the Sabal Trail Project insists spectra has a good track record.

“Spectra energy really has a good safety record, we have the best in the industry, we take a lot of lessons learned and apply them to our programs,” said Andrea Grover, Sabal Trail Transmission.

So now she’s familiar with Spectra’s safety record after for months she wasn’t? When did Spectra learn all these lessons, and when Continue reading Sabal Trail same old at Albany FERC Scoping Meeting →

Spectra Energy — Be the Best it Can Be –Mike Benard

December 16, 2013Dougherty County, Georgia, Lowndes County, Pennsylvania, Texas9 December 2013, Andrea Grover, Brian Fahrenthold, compressor, Dougherty County, EPA, Ethics, Georgia, Government, Greg Ebel, Gretchen Quarterman, History, Houston, John S. Quarterman, LAKE, Law, LCC, leak, Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, Lowndes County, Lowndes County Commission, Mike Benard, natural gas, Pennsylvania, PHMSA, pipeline, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Steckman Ridge, Texas, transparency, Valdosta, VDT, WALB, Work SessionJohn S. Quarterman

Mike Benard sent this today to Spectra’s Andrea Grover, copied to a long list of news media and local, state, and federal elected and appointed officials and employees. For local background, see Spectra reps unfamiliar with Spectra fines @ LCC 2013-12-09. -jsq

Ms. Grover:

Those of us property owners who are already Spectra Energy “stakeholders” (the company’s term), want Spectra Energy to be the best it can be, consistent with its publicly stated commitment to Stakeholder Engagement, Integrity, Transparency, and Accountability.

Reference link: http://www.spectraenergy.com/Sustainability/Economic/Acting-with-Integrity/

To that end, and regarding your activities as a “Director of Stakeholder Outreach” on behalf of Spectra Energy’s proposed Sabal Trail pipeline, property owners in Georgia report that you are asserting the following at public meetings:

• You assert that property owners at Spectra Energy’s Steckman Ridge compressor facility in Bedford County, PA are “happy” despite ongoing problems there and a consistent lack of response from Spectra Energy to its “stakeholders.”

FACT: I speak for more than a dozen families who live next to or near the problematic compressor facility; and your statement is incorrect and misleading. What facts do you have to support such a disingenuous allegation? A ring of health, water and operational complaints surround this facility that began operations in 2009. Based on unofficial record keeping by neighbors, there have been nearly 60 shutdowns, blowdowns and related incidents at the Steckman Ridge compressor station and underground natural gas storage facility between August 2009 and the present. And there is much more, as you know.

• You assert that uncontrolled releases of methane and other hydrocarbons that happen too frequently at the Steckman Ridge compressor facility are “normal.” Let’s hope not. Your assertion is uninformed and misleading.

FACT: Recall the March 9-10 incident Continue reading Spectra Energy — Be the Best it Can Be –Mike Benard →