On WWALS TV radio Scott James and Valdosta Airport Executive Director James Galloway and I discussed alligators, karst limestone, and water levels on the Suwannee, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha Rivers. If I have to fly, I much prefer flying out of Valdosta to Atlanta, because if you forget about your pocketknife, security will just ask you if you want to take it to your car.
Before outings, we talked about coal ash and how Continue reading
We asked the state of Georgia to upgrede our main Suwannee River Basin rivers (and some lakes and swamps) from their current lowest water quality classification as Fishing to what they really are: Recreational Use. You can help!
![[Georgia landings in Suwannee River Basin]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-03-03--wwals-suw-basin-landings-ga/all-ga-landings-suw-river-basin.jpg)
Every three years, federal law requires each state to review its water quality standards. 2019 is such a year for Georgia, so the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) is conducting a Triennial Review. The request WWALS sent to GA-EPD, background, and their response are all on the WWALS website. Our request was rather long, with 23 pages asking for reclassification of the Suwannee River, the Okefenokee Swamp, the Alapaha River, Lake Irma, Banks Lake, Grand Bay, the Withlacoochee River, the Little River, and Reed Bingham State Park Lake, all from Fishing to Recreational Use. The WWALS cover letter is included at the end of this blog post. For the rest, see the WWALS website.
The response thus far from GA-EPD has some good news: Continue reading
Ain’t that the truth: “The upshot of this is that the pipeline companies get everything they want, and the property owners get nothing.”
A lasting solution would be to remove private eminent domain from the Natural Gas Act (NGA), as proposed by the Georgia House of Representatives in 2017. Meanwhile, this Writ attempts at least to limit the damage.
This Pennsylvania case is about Transcontinental Pipeline Company (Transco), which is also behind the Hillabee Expansion Project in Alabama, the source of Sabal Trail’s fracked methane in the Continue reading
Update 2019-03-14: The Valdosta City Clerk says the Valdosta City Manager says “the public will have an opportunity to speak.”
As discussed in Lake City when the dozen downstream Florida counties passed their resolution, and as foreshadowed by Emma Wheeler on WCTV, and now confirmed by Valdosta City Clerk Teresa Bolden, elected officials from Valdosta and twelve Florida counties will meet to discuss Valdosta wastewater spills and how to stop them. She also confirmed that since there will be a quorum of the Valdosta City Council there, this will be a public meeting.
When: 6PM, Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Where:
General Purpose Room,
Valdosta City Hall Annex,
300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, GA 31601
Photo: Ellis, Ricket & Associates.
It’s not clear the public will be able to speak, but you can come and see for yourself. As I told the Valdosta City Clerk, this afternoon I already invited the Suwannee River Water Management District and everybody else who was in their meeting. Valdosta will probably publish an announcement soon, but so far we at least know the meeting will happen and it will be public. Y’all come.
Back on Continue reading
It’s great the #Trashtag Challenge is getting people to clean up litter, but remember the straw and the sea turtle. Let’s also get on with fixing the problem, which is throwaway plastic and other discardable containers and wrappers.
It’s fun and useful to clean up a creek, like we did Sunday on Onemile Branch at Azalea Festival in Valdosta.
WWALS does this on every outing, which is also a cleanup, plus some specific cleanups, such as two at Troupville Boat Ramp on the Little River and one at Sheboggy on the Alapaha River last year. We find the amount of trash tends to go down, as more people catch on that we need to take care of our waters.
Yet more needs to be done. Remember last year at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, the sea turtle and the straw? Continue reading
Update 2019-03-12: The #Trashtag Challenge: Cleanups are good, but throwaway plastic needs to be stopped.
Not bad for an idea from a few days before: a cleanup at Onemile Branch in Drexel Park during Azalea Festival.
Juan and Luisa from Colombia with the VSU English Language Institute waded into the stream, with Beatriz Potter holding the bucket and Tom Potter advising.
Sara Jay explained her WWALS water quality test kit.
Continue readingGeorgia HB 545 restricts property owners from filing a nuisance claim against an industrial agricultural operation. If a Chinese concentrated hog farming operation like those in North Carolina moves in next door, you may have no recourse if this law passes. Smells from pools of animal waste, pesticide drift, or underground contamination of your well water: all these things can travel for miles, and this bill could prevent you from objecting to them.
In Georgia, people are living a “lightmare” from mega-greenhouses owned by an international conglomerate.
HB 545 would prevent property owners from protecting their own property values. Existing law already protects agricultural operations from neighbors who move in next to the farm. This bill favors newly arriving, disruptive industrial agricultural operations over long-established property owners.
Follow this link to send a message today to your Senator and the Governor to VOTE NO on HB 545. Protect rural property rights.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Charlie Walker came by the WWALS booth at Azalea Festival yesterday and invited Gretchen to be on his radio show, Wednesday morning.
When: 8:18 AM, Wednesday, March 11, 2019
Where: 99.5 FM, or listen online.
Gretchen Quarterman at Azalea Festival, Saturday, 9 March 2019.
Gretchen will talk about outings and festivals, such as (formatting fixed 2019-03-13)
And of course WWALS advocacy, including
According to 99.5 Kix Country:
Shotgun was born in Albany, Georgia and joined his first radio station at the young age of 15. After high school, he joined The U.S. Army earned degrees from Maryland and Central Texas. After that, he toured with such bands as Little Texas, Sawyer Brown and Robin Lee before returning to his first love of radio. In 2004 he signed on at WKAA 105.9 later to become 99.5 Kix Country. Although he has left to try other things he has returned to where it all began in Kix Country.
For more WWALS outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS calendar or the WWALS outings and events web page. WWALS members also get an upcoming list in the Tannin Times newsletter.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
FPL’s planned-for-a-decade pipeline to the sea just happens to connect Sabal Trail with an LNG export port. Nevermind that this MR-RV Lateral was never run through the FERC permitting process: FERC rolled it into Florida Southeast Connection.
Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 10 March 2012 (updated 31 March 2012), FPL proposes 32-mile natural gas pipeline for Riviera Beach plant,
FPL is seeking state approval for a 32-mile natural gas pipeline to provide an uninterrupted supply to Florida Power & Light Co.’s new Riviera Beach plant.
Map: Palm Beach Post, 31 March 2012.
The story said FPL was working with FDEP to determine the final route. It also said:
The project is not related to FPL’s proposed $1.5 billion, 300-mile natural gas pipeline that would have run from Bradford County to Martin County. The Florida Public Service Commission Continue reading
It turns out Valdosta can schedule a workshop for elected officials to meet with the Valdosta City Council, as the the dozen downstream Florida counties previously requested.
Emma Wheeler, WCTV, 7 March 2019, Task force looks to curb Valdosta sewage spills,
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WCTV) — Communities continue to push for more prevention of spills at Valdosta’s wastewater treatment system.
Several North Florida counties down the river from Valdosta formed a task force last year to try and protect local waterways. The group is now hoping the states can step in to help.
Counties across North Florida and South Georgia are making it a priority to protect the rivers. The task force has passed a Continue reading
![[Transco]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-03-13--pa-case/pipeline.jpg)
![[Question]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-03-13--pa-case/IJ-PA-Pipeline-Cert-Petition_FINAL-1-0002.jpg)
![[A new challenge.]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-03-10--onemile-branch-cleanup/53109624_309787839740111_3782262578527659154_n.jpg)
![[Scotti downstream]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-03-10--onemile-branch-cleanup/20190310_142143.jpg)
![[Beatriz assisting]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-03-10--onemile-branch-cleanup/20190310_144703.jpg)
![[Sara explaining]](http://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-03-10--onemile-branch-cleanup/20190310_142225.jpg)