Monthly Archives: September 2014

Make Sabal Trail resurvey all the properties –Bill Kendall

September 30, 2014Alabama, Ethics, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, Georgia, History, Law, Lowndes CountyAlabama, Bill Kendall, eminent domain, Ethics, FERC, FL PSC, Florida, FPL, GA EPD, GDOT, Georgia, History, John S. Quarterman, Law, Lowndes County, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, STTJohn S. Quarterman

Update 27 October 2014: Added page 3 FERC had omitted, about lack of need, most property owners already have a pipeline, explosions, false pretense, and duress.

Because of the last point about Nathan Deal, several people brought this ecomment to my attention today. Its main request is for FERC to vacate surveys taken through permission obtained through misleading letters, and make Sabal Trail resurvey only those properties whose landowners give permission after being informed important information such as that Sabal Trail cannot use Georgia eminent domain.

Actually, the Lowndes County government got a letter from Sabal Trail 19 June 2013, even earlier than the ones noted below. Also, the point about Delays I haven’t seen before, especially combined with the point about harm to landowners. The date of formation reaches its punchline two pages later in reputation. I added the links and images. Filed with FERC 30 September 2014.

Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary; FERC;
Concerning PF14-1

On December 19, 2012, Florida Power & Light, hereafter referred to as FPL. issued a Request For Proposal with a deadline of April 3, 2013 ((A) see attached Florida PSC report), to construct a natural gas pipeline from Southwest central Alabama to South central Florida a distance of some 700 miles and completely by-passing Georgia ((B) see attached FPL map).
Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC, hereafter referred to as STT, changed the FPL route, at their discretion, Continue reading Make Sabal Trail resurvey all the properties –Bill Kendall →

Put Sabal Trail project on hold –Albany Mayor Hubbard

September 30, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, Georgia, WaterAlbany, compressor, Dorothy B. Hubbard, Dougherty County, Georgia, John S. Quarterman, SpectraBusters, WaterJohn S. Quarterman

Filed with FERC 30 September 2014:

City of Albany
Post Office Box 447
Albany, Georgia
31702-0447

Dorothy B. Hubbard
Mayor
Office: 229.431.3244
FAX: 229.878.3198

September 16, 2014
Ms. Cheryl A. LaFleur, Chairman
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20426
RE: FERC Docket #PF-14-l-Sabal Trail Transmissions, LLC
Dear Chairman LaFleur. Continue reading Put Sabal Trail project on hold –Albany Mayor Hubbard →

We just do not want it! –Mary Rehberg to FERC

September 30, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, Explosion, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, Leak, NoiseAlbany, compressor, Dougherty County, Economy, explosion, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, leak, Mary Rehberg, noise, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Filed with FERC 30 September 2014:

Mary Rehberg, Albany, GA.

Albany and Dougherty County do not want, need or benefit in any way by this pipeline. These pipelines have been known to leak and to blow up. The pumping station needs jet turbines to pump the gas and the noise level will be horrific to anyone living near it. It should not be anywhere near any homes or businesses. We get all the risk and none of the benefit. We just do not want it!

How to comment with FERC.

FERC authorized Cove Point LNG export in Maryland

September 30, 2014Compressor, Economy, Environment, FE, FERC, Law, LNG, Maryland, VirginiaCalvert County, compressor, Cove Point, Dominion Power, Economy, environment, FE, FERC, John S. Quarterman, Law, LNG, Maryland, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, VirginiaJohn S. Quarterman

This is what we’re going to get in Dougherty County, Georgia, and Lowndes County, and Suwannee County, Florida, and all the other counties along whichever route FERC picks for the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline to three already-authorized LNG export operations in Florida, unless somebody actually does something more than just talk. What talk gets you is being counted as one of n speakers at m meetings, and then this:

The Commission found that the proposal, as mitigated with 79 conditions found in Appendix B of today’s order, is in the public interest.

That’s right, FERC found Continue reading FERC authorized Cove Point LNG export in Maryland →

Four hours of overwhelming public opposition shrugged off by Sabal Trail and FERC in Albany, GA

September 30, 2014Compressor, Dougherty County, Ethics, FERC, Georgia, Hazards, LawAGAST, Albany, Albany Georgia Against Sabal Trail, Andrea Grover, compressor, Dinorah Hall, Dougherty County, Ed Gonzalez, Environment Safety, Ethics, FERC, Gary Hall, Georgia, Gloria Gaines, Hazards, John Peconom, John S. Quarterman, Law, Sabal Trail Transmission, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

FERC’s reps said their five Commissioners would decide in about a year, and Sabal Trail said they’d tune details and “educate the public” about the alleged “need” and “jobs” and “environmental safety” of their yard-wide fracked methane pipeline gouged through a hundred-foot right of way plus a compressor station. The public wasn’t having any of that in Albany, Georgia yesterday.

Update 30 Sep 2014: But that very same day, FERC rubberstamped Cove Point LNG in Maryland after “more than 140 speakers at three public meetings related to the Environmental Assessment and received more than 650 comments”, and that’s what we’re going to get with Sabal Trail, unless our elected and appointed officials go beyond talk and pass binding ordinances, deny permits, and countersue.

Franklin White for WFXL 29 Sep 2014, Public information meeting held for proposed pipeline.
Aaryn Valenzuela for WALB 29 Sep 2014, Citizens brave rain for pipeline meeting
Carlton Fletcher wrote for the Albany Herald 29 September 2014, Public forum offers Dougherty County community opportunity to discuss pipeline: Federal, state officials on hand for public discussion of proposed pipeline, Continue reading Four hours of overwhelming public opposition shrugged off by Sabal Trail and FERC in Albany, GA →

Protect our community from Sabal Trail –Beacon Baptist Church to Albany Mayor Hubbard

September 29, 2014California, Compressor, Dougherty County, Explosion, Kanawha County, Manitoba, Oklahoma, San Mateo County, West VirginiaAlbany, Beacon Baptist Church, California, Canada, compressor, Dorothy Hubbard, Dougherty County, explosion, John S. Quarterman, Jon Gosa, Kanawha County, Manitoba, Oklahoma, Otterburg, Rosston, Sabal Trail Transmission, San Bruno, San Mateo County, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, West Virginia, WinnipegJohn S. Quarterman

Received today. I added the links and illustrations and a few [notes]. -jsq

Copy of Letter sent to Albany Mayor Hubbard on behalf of Beacon Baptist Church opposing pipeline: Hello Mayor Hubbard,

I am writing to you on behalf of Beacon Baptist Church located at 5818 Newton Rd., Albany Ga. directly across from the proposed site for the Sabal Trail/Spectra Energy compressor station and pipeline route. We are asking you, as the Mayor of Albany, to take action in protecting our community by opposing the Sabal Trail/Spectra Energy pipeline. We have contacted County Commissioners and reached out to your office on several occasions about this issue. We have done extensive research compiling a list of some 6095 people across the US that have been negatively affected by Sabal Trail/Spectra Energy and other related pipelines. We have cited the numerous safety violations of Sabal Trail/Spectra Energy and the enormous fines that have been levied against them. It is our deep concern that after 51 years at our current location, Continue reading Protect our community from Sabal Trail –Beacon Baptist Church to Albany Mayor Hubbard →

Spectra haunting Albany, GA 10AM Monday 29 Sep 2014

September 28, 2014Dougherty County, EPA, Fracking, GeorgiaDougherty County, EPA, Fracking, Georgia, Government, John S. Quarterman, Nathan Deal, Sabal Trail Transmission, Spectra Energy, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

Anybody want to ask Spectra what they expected from Gov. Deal when they contributed $10,000 to his campaign?

There’s a facebook event:

222 Pine Ave, Albany, GA 31701
Our local government officials have listened to our outcry and organized a public meeting featuring but not limited to Spectra, EPA and Gov Deal reps. Please join us, lets show them we are a UNITED Dougherty county!!

Carlton Fletcher wrote for the Albany Herald 24 September 2014, Albany’s Jon Howard, Dougherty County’s John Hayes host pipeline meetings: Officials’ community meetings are called to inform public about proposed natural gas pipeline,

The Dougherty County and Albany City commissions will hold a joint meeting Monday at 10 a.m. to discuss the pipeline. Federal and state officials, as well as representatives of Spectra Energy, which is building the pipeline, are expected to attend.

Who’s holding the meetings: Continue reading Spectra haunting Albany, GA 10AM Monday 29 Sep 2014 →

Stop this Pipeline –Columbia Paper not buying the script

September 27, 2014Columbia County, Compressor, Economy, Explosion, FERC, Fracking, Law, Leak, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, SafetyColumbia County, compressor, Constitution Pipeline, Economy, explosion, FERC, FPL, Fracking, John S. Quarterman, Kinder Morgan, Law, leak, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Sabal Trail Transmission, Safety, Spectra Energy, SpectraBusters, Tennesee Gas PipelineJohn S. Quarterman

Update 28 Sep 2014: With details from Bill Huston. The main point remains:

“Supporting the pipeline proposal as it stands amounts to surrendering our future to the petroleum industry.” That about sums it up, both for Kinder Morgan’s ~~Constition Pipeline~~ Northeast Direct project (NED) through Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, and for Spectra and FPL’s Sabal Trail pipeline through Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.

Parry Teasdale wrote for The Columbia Paper of Ghent, NY 25 September 2014, EDITORIAL: Stop this pipeline,

The proposed pipeline would reportedly run beneath 55 private properties in Columbia County if it’s approved by federal regulators. The property owners would have to grant rights of way to the company. Neither the towns nor the county could intervene.

The editorial doesn’t really buy that last: it laster asks local governments to intervene.

Opponents say that property values along and nearby Continue reading Stop this Pipeline –Columbia Paper not buying the script →

Departing PHMSA Administrator has let regulated companies determine testing as LNG exports increase

September 25, 2014Economy, Explosion, FE, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, Leak, LNG, New York, PHMSA, SafetyCynthia Quarterman, Economy, explosion, FE, FERC, Fracking, Hazards, John S. Quarterman, leak, LNG, New York, PHMSA, Safety, SpectraBustersJohn S. Quarterman

PHMSA Administrator Rather than stopping leaks and explosions, Cynthia L. Quarterman (no relation) seems to spend a lot of time testifying before Congress, see for example these CSPAN videos. Maybe now that “market forces” are shifting away from fossil fuels, instead of chasing the white whale of pipelines for fracked methane to LNG export, we can get a new PHMSA Administrator who will do something about the lax safety of the pipelines we’ve got while we get on with shifting to sun, wind, and water power.

James F. Bowe, Jr. and Sara E. Peters wrote for Energy Newsletter, March 2014, Congress Probes Crude by Rail Safety Developments; Voluntary Industry-Regulator Agreement Addresses Safety Concerns, Continue reading Departing PHMSA Administrator has let regulated companies determine testing as LNG exports increase →

Rockefeller Brothers Fund divesting from coal and tar sands, but not from natural gas

September 25, 2014Climate Change, Economy, Environment, Fracking, History, SolarDesmond Tutu, Divest-Invest, Economy, Fracking, John D. Rockefeller, John S. Quarterman, natural gas, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, solar, SpectraBusters, Standard Oil, Stephen Heintz, Tar Sands, whale oilJohn S. Quarterman

It’s indeed historic when heirs of John D. Rockefeller, the man whose Standard Oil more than any other company put the world on its current fossil-fuel-burning climate-changing path decide to divest from coal and tar sands. But read their actual statement: they’re not divesting from natural gas, or fracking, or even from oil. Yet.

Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) PR 22 September 2014 Fund Announces Plans to Divest from Fossil Fuels,

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund has been working to better align its endowed assets with its mission since 2010, when the board of trustees approved a commitment of up to 10 percent of the endowment to investments consistent with the foundation’s Sustainable Development program goals. Stephen Heintz, president of the Fund, announced its decision to divest from fossil fuels at a press conference in New York City on September 22, 2014, one day before world leaders convene at the UN Climate Summit. The Fund has begun a two-step process to divest from investments in fossil fuels, first focusing on limiting its exposure to coal and tar sands, with a goal to reduce these investments to less than one percent of the total portfolio by the end of 2014. The Fund is also analyzing in detail its remaining fossil fuel exposure and will develop a plan for further divestment as quickly as is prudent over the next few years.

There’s nothing about this continued investment in fracked methane in the New York Times story or in any of the others I’ve found. But RBF’s own PR is pretty clear.

That PR and a longer statement refer us to Continue reading Rockefeller Brothers Fund divesting from coal and tar sands, but not from natural gas →

SpectraBusters

We ain't afraid a no pipeline!