Tag Archives: Polk County

Resolution against Sabal Trail pipeline –Groveland, FL 2014-04-21

In April 2014 the Groveland, Florida City Council unanimously voted to ask FERC Summary to move the Sabal Trail pipeline off of private property and the Green Swamp and onto Florida state lands.

The vote is recorded in their minutes of April 21, 2014:

  1. Resolution 2014-04-06: Sabal Trail Transmission Line
    Action: Motion to approve
    Moved by Vice Mayor James Smith, Seconded by Council Member John Griffin.
    Vote: Motion carried by unanimous roll call vote (summary: Yes = 5).
    Motion approved.

The text of the resolution is in their agenda packet: Continue reading Resolution against Sabal Trail pipeline –Groveland, FL 2014-04-21

Duke withdraws Suwannee and Polk plant plans

Opposition to the Sabal Trail pipeline may be having more widespread effects. The same day FERC told Sabal Trail to pay attention to karst limestone sinkhole opposition, Duke announced it wasn’t going to “modernize” that plant. Two days later, Sabal Trail told one of that opposition that it was considering moving its Suwannee River crossing upstream, that is, away from Duke’s Suwannee Plant, Coincidence?

Ivan Penn wrote for Tampa Bay Times 26 August 2014, In flip-flop, Duke Energy will buy existing power plant, not build one, Continue reading Duke withdraws Suwannee and Polk plant plans

Duke gas plants to be fueled by Sabal Trail fracked methane

Tuesday May 27th Duke plans to file with FL PSC for approval to use Sabal Trail fracked methane at its former Crystal River nuclear site in Citrus County, Florida, and apparently for two other Duke plants in Suwannee County and Polk County. The Citrus County Commissioners have a Comprehensive Plan change for Duke on their agenda for that same day, May 27th, for a Public Hearing June 10th.

We already knew last December that Duke’s usual spokesman said Sabal Trail “plans to provide the gas” for Duke’s plant, which explains why Sabal Trail proposed last November a Citrus County Pipeline that goes right to Duke’s site. And now we have further confirmation.

Sabal Trail’s current top news story is by Robby Douglas in Citrus Daily 15 May 2014, Duke to build natural gas plant here, close coal plants, Continue reading Duke gas plants to be fueled by Sabal Trail fracked methane

Methane pipeline safety record questioned –Lauren Ritchie

A reporter for a major newspaper is calling Spectra on its safety record, and calling Spectra’s responses “not good enough”! After thirty years of Spectra safety promises, that’s putting it mildly. A Maine resident put it this way after the Spectra’s Searsmont compressor blowout: “we were clearly lied to”.

Lauren Ritchie wrote for the Orlando Sentinel today, Safety record of natural-gas pipeline partner raises concerns,

Spectra Energy Corp. along with FPL’s parent, NextEra Energy, would bury the 473-mile Sabal Trail pipeline expected to carry 1 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to just south of Orlando in Osceola County, where it would connect to another line for eventual delivery to FPL in Martin County.

Spectra’s safety record, however, leaves something to be desired.

Take, for example, the company’s Texas Eastern pipeline, a 9,200-mile Spectra project connecting Texas with the markets in the Northeast.

Between 2006 and 2013, the company had 21 “incidents” along the line, causing Continue reading Methane pipeline safety record questioned –Lauren Ritchie

Fight the Fracking Pipeline in Florida

PDF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Valdosta, 16 March 2014 — Florida forms the field for the pipeline fight this week, at a Suwannee County Commissioners meeting and three FERC Scoping Meetings. Plus later a SpectraBusters panel on the issues.

FERC Scoping Meetings*:
This week’s calendar:
SpectraBusters Panel:
In Conjunction with:

FERC Scoping Meetings*:

Continue reading Fight the Fracking Pipeline in Florida

Water supply more important than methane pipeline –Lauren Ritchie

“But this isn’t an issue just for tree-huggers. It’s one that every person who uses water ought to latch on to,” she wrote.

I added the links and the images below to what Lauren Ritchie wrote in the Orlando Sentinel yesterday, Move path for natural-gas pipeline to protect water supply,

Only a relatively small piece of a proposed natural-gas pipeline that is to cross three states would come through a corner of south Lake County, but the route is directly through one of the most environmentally sensitive areas in Florida.

And, unfortunately, the pipeline is to be built by a company whose safety record is hardly sterling and whose tendency is to stare silently when asked questions about accidents.

I’d recognize the pipeline company from that description. Continue reading Water supply more important than methane pipeline –Lauren Ritchie