Tag Archives: Withlacoochee River

Sabal Trail Notice of EIS Intent and Route Alternatives

October 15, 2014Alabama, Brooks County, Compressor, Dougherty County, Environment, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hamilton County, Hazards, Lee County, Levy County, Lowndes County, Marion County, Osceola County, Suwannee County, Tallapoosa County, WaterAlabama, Alachua County Sasser Route Alternative, Albany, Brooks County, compressor, Dougherty County, drill, EIS, environment, Environmental Impact Statement, FERC, Flint River, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, FPL, FSC, Georgia, Gilchrist County, Hamilton County, Happy Trails Route Alternative, Hazards, Hillabee Expansion, Jasper, John S. Quarterman, karst, Kioke Creek, Kioke-Flint, Lee County, Levy County, Lowndes County, Marion County, National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA, NextEra Energy, Osceola County, SMP, Southeast Market Pipelines Project, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, springs, Suwannee County, Suwannee River, Suwannee River State Park, Tallapoosa County, Terrell County, Valdosta, Wacassassa Flats Route Alternative, Water, Williams Company, Withlacoochee River, Withlacoochee River Crossing Route AlternativeJohn S. Quarterman

A FERC comment period ending 15 November 2014 seems to mean Sabal Trail will miss its 31 October formal filing date. No relief suggested for crossing the Withlacoochee River at the border of Brooks and Lowndes Counties, Georgia (or inside Lowndes County next to Valdosta, according to several of the previous alternatives). And every proposed path still crosses the Suwannee River into Suwannee County.

Maybe that’s because the Dougherty County Commission and the Albany City Council actually stood up for their citizens, as did Gilchrist County (see Wacassassa Flats Alternative), while the Suwannee County Commission swallowed Sabal Trail disinformation and the Lowndes County Commission and the Valdosta City Council did little (except one letter from the Chairman) or nothing (except one letter from one Council member).

There’s still time for Dougherty, Lowndes, and all the other counties and cities to pass ordinances, and to lobby state and federal agencies and elected and appointed officials. Oh, and there’s an election going on.

Also no mention of Sabal Trail’s Jasper, Florida Open House, 5-7:30 Tuesday 21 October 2014, but STT’s newspaper notice said the public is invited, so y’all come!

Filed with FERC today, 15 October 2014, Supplemental Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environment Impact Statement for the Planned Southeast Market Pipeline Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues etc. re Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC under PF14-1.

-jsq

Docket No. PF14-1-000
Continue reading Sabal Trail Notice of EIS Intent and Route Alternatives →

Sabal Trail invites you to an Open House in Jasper, Florida

October 14, 2014Environment, FERC, Florida, Hamilton County, LNG, WaterChattahoochee River, Chris Mericle, Deanna Mericle, environment, FERC, Flint River, Florida, Florida Gateway Golf & Country Club, Floridan Aquifer, FPL, Hamilton County, Jasper, John S. Quarterman, karst, limestone, Sabal Trail Transmission, Santa Fe River, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee River, Water, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

Sabal Trail invites the public to an Open House about a Withlacoochee Alternative that would avoid the Withlacoochee River in Hamilton County, Florida.

Update 2014-10-15: SpectraBusters facebook event and Sabal Trail new route alternatives filing.

Maybe you’d like to ask them how about avoiding the Withlacoochee River in Lowndes County, Georgia? Or about those three already-authorized LNG export operations right where that pipeline leads. How about why all seven proposed paths would cross the Suwannee River into Suwannee County, Florida? How about asking them not to cross the Santa Fe River, the Suwannee River, the Flint, or the Chattahoochee? Hm, that might mean there’s no path for their pipeline….

Tuesday, October 21, 2014
5:00pm — 7:30pm
Florida Gateway Golf & Country Club
8055 U.S. Highway 129 South, Jasper, Florida 32052

Most of it’s the usual STT boilerplate, plus this: Continue reading Sabal Trail invites you to an Open House in Jasper, Florida →

Sabal Trail Response to FERC directive of 26 August 2014

September 17, 2014Alabama, Dougherty County, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Lowndes County, WaterAlabama, Andrea Grover, Chris Mericle, Dougherty County, FERC, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, John Peconom, John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Water, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

Would it or wouldn’t it cross the Withlacoochee River in Florida? (It certainly would in Georgia by 4 out of 5 proposed paths.) And Sabal Trail poo-poohed all four of Greenlaw’s suggested Alternatives, but FERC could still require any one of them. Here are Sabal Trail’s own maps of Greenlaw Alternatives 1-4:

Continue reading Sabal Trail Response to FERC directive of 26 August 2014 →

Is the Sabal Trail pipeline necessary? –Lori McCraney

September 12, 2014FERC, Hamilton County, Hazards, Law, Safety, Suwannee County, WaterFERC, Hamilton County, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lori McCraney, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee Alliance for Sustainable Growth, Suwannee County, Suwannee Democrat, Suwannee River, Water, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

Lori McCraney of  Suwannee Alliance for Sustainable Growth wrote in the Suwannee Democrat 11 September 2014, Guest commentary — Is the Sabal Trail pipeline necessary?

I am pleased that the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners has issued a resolution challenging the location of the Sabal Trail pipeline in the vicinity of the Withlacoochee River. Hamilton County resident Chris Mericle did an excellent job of explaining the risks of locating the pipeline in such fragile karst terrain. Sable Trails LLC quickly responded by saying that it will move the crossing to the west, possibly crossing the Suwannee River somewhere near the Suwannee River State Park.

The same problems still exist with tunneling under the Withlacoochee River in Lowndes County, Georgia and tunneling under the Suwannee River at two locations in Suwannee County. As Mr. Mericle explained about drilling under our rivers, “The horizontal directional drilling could intersect spring conduits, affect spring well flows, and ultimately river base flow. Grouting in this cavernous, Continue reading Is the Sabal Trail pipeline necessary? –Lori McCraney →

Explain karst, sinkholes, discrepencies, and routes around Albany and the Withlacoochee River –FERC to Sabal Trail

August 27, 2014Alabama, Dougherty County, Florida, Georgia, Hamilton County, Lowndes County, Tift CountyAlabama, Albany, Dougherty County, FGT, Florida, Georgia, Greenlaw, Hamilton County, Hillabee Alternative, John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, SpectraBusters, Tift County, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

FERC just directed Sabal Trail to actually address problems raised by citizens and local government agencies, plus numerous discrepencies FERC itself detected. Opposition to this unnecessary and hazardous fracked methane pipeline is having effects, even with rubberstamping FERC. But watch out Tifton, Valdosta, Thomasville, and The Villages! You’re now on possible routes.

Sabal Trail is to provide details for Greenlaw’s route-around-Albany proposals on behalf of Sierra Club and others Valdosta, you’re back in two proposed routes, the the one you saw last summer, plus one down I-75 that would go right past Lowndes High School and also past The Villages in sinkhole-prone Sumter County, Florida. Tifton, you’re not safe; look at that Hillabee route. Thomasville watch out: you’re on a new proposed route.

Sabal Trail is to provide alternatives to minimize effects on or completely avoid the Withlacoochee River, and this is even before the Hamilton County Commission’s resolution against the pipeline gets to FERC.

FERC’s letter is peppered with requirements to cooperate with federal, state, and local agencies especially including about land use and environmental requirements and land approvals.

It explicitly says that all surveys Continue reading Explain karst, sinkholes, discrepencies, and routes around Albany and the Withlacoochee River –FERC to Sabal Trail →

Avoid the Withlacoochee River and karst limestone –Hamilton Co. FL to FERC

August 26, 2014FERC, Florida, Hamilton County, Wateraquifer, Chris Mericle, FERC, FL-DEP, Florida, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Hamilton County, John S. Quarterman, karst, limestone, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, SRWMD, Suwannee River Water Management District, Water, Withlacoochee River, WWALSJohn S. Quarterman

After citizens familiar with the springs, shoals, and sinkholes of the Withlacoochee River and the fragile karst limestone that contains them and the Floridan Aquifer, source of drinking water for all of Florida and south Georgia, the north Florida county of Hamilton passed a resolution asking FERC to have the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline avoid those geological formations. According to a letter already forwarded to FERC by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and also quoted in part to FERC by the Suwannee River Water Management District, that would mean there’s basically nowhere that pipeline would be safe in north Florida (or south Georgia, which has the same limestone substrate).

Joyce Marie Taylor updated in the Suwannee Democrat 25 August 2014, Hamilton fights back against Sabal Trail pipeline,

A special meeting was called on Friday, Aug. 22, and the board voted to pass Resolution 14-10 that expressed their concerns about the proposed pipeline route across the Withlacoochee River that forms the western boundary of Hamilton County.

A portion of the resolution states, Continue reading Avoid the Withlacoochee River and karst limestone –Hamilton Co. FL to FERC →

State and local permitting for Sabal Trail pipeline

August 24, 2014Alabama, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, Georgia, Jefferson County, Law, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, PHMSA, WaterAlabama, FERC, FL PSC, FL-DEP, Florida, Florida Southeast Connection, FPL, FSC, GA EPD, GA PSC, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Law, permit, Sabal Trail Transmission, Santa Fe River, Southeast Market Pipelines Project, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee River, Suwannee River Water Management District, Williams Company, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

The Florida Public Service Commission has a special say in the Southeast Market Pipelines Project because the Florida Southeast Connection (FSC) leg of this pipeline is completely inside Florida and completely owned by FPL, a Florida regulated electric utility. And Florida has a say because the entire excuse for the three-part Transco -> Sabal Trail -> FSC project is that supposedly Florida needs the power (it doesn’t, but that’s the excuse). FPL is getting so desperate for public acceptance of this boondoggle they pressed their own CEO, Eric Silagy, into attempting to rebut Our Santa Fe River’s latest entry in the op-ed debate.

Sabal Trail and FERC would like everyone to believe state regulators have no say, but that’s just not true. It’s not even clear GA PSC has no say, considering that Continue reading State and local permitting for Sabal Trail pipeline →

Avoid highly sensitive water resource features –SRWMD to FERC

April 18, 2014FERC, Florida, Gilchrist County, Hamilton County, Levy County, Martin County, Suwannee County, WaterFlorida, Floridan Aquifer, Gilchrist County, Groundwater, Hamilton County, Ichetucknee River, John S. Quarterman, karst, Levy County, limestone, Martin County, Santa Fe River, sinkholes, SpectraBusters, springs, SRWMD, Suwannee County, Suwannee River, Suwannee River Water Management District, Water, wetlands, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

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 →

Cancelled! Paddle Against the Pipeline on the Withlacoochee River

March 29, 2014Brooks County, Georgia, Lowndes County, WaterBrooks County, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, Lowndes County, SAVE, Sierra Club, SpectraBusters, Water, Withlacoochee River, WWALSJohn S. Quarterman

Update 9PM 16 April 2014: Cancelled due to flood-stage water levels in the Withlacoochee River, with more rain expected Friday. To be rescheduled.

7:30 AM Saturday 19 April 2014 on the Withlacoochee River between Valdosta and Quitman, put in at Old Quitman Road on the Brooks County side (just south of US 84): Paddle past where the proposed Sabal Trail methane pipeline would cross the Withlacoochee River, digging into our fragile karst limesone, above our drinking-water Floridan Aquifer. This is a joint event of Continue reading Cancelled! Paddle Against the Pipeline on the Withlacoochee River →

Suwannee County Gas Pipeline Alert

March 13, 2014Florida, Suwannee County, WaterDavid Hannah, Florida, Ichetucknee Alliance, Ichetucknee River, Ichetucknee River Estates, John S. Quarterman, Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson Santa Fe River, Our Santa Fe River, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Suwannee County, Suwannee River, Withlacoochee RiverJohn S. Quarterman

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”