Monthly Archives: September 2015

Hazardous Site Inventory –GA-EPD

Press Release, 28 August 2015, Public Advisory: Georgia EPD Issues 2015 Hazardous Site Inventory with Interactive Map,

Hazardous-sites The Hazardous Site Inventory (HSI) is a list of sites in Georgia where there has been a known or suspected release of a regulated substance above a reportable quantity and which have yet to show they meet state clean-up standards. The HSI is published annually by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The new interactive Map uses the familiar Google Maps interface and includes basic information about each site as well as links to individual Site Summary pages. More information about the HSI, including the Google Maps feature, is available at: http://epd.georgia.gov/hazardous-site-inventory.

Follow that link and you’ll find an interactive map plus an introduction and lists by name, county, site number, and class.

Not all the hazardous sites shown above are in WWALS territory. For comparison, Continue reading →

Valdosta wastewater fixes schedule update

Thanks, Emily and Henry, and to the City of Valdosta for all your efforts. But could somebody please update the schedule on Valdosta’s website?

Subject: COV Sanitary Sewer System Improvement Update

Good afternoon Chris,

Force-Main-Project-Map--August-2015-001 Thank you for reaching out to me today for an update on the sewer improvements that the City has underway. We have continued to make substantial progress since our meeting back in March that you attended. As discussed then, the city has two major projects underway. One is a $36 million dollar Force Main project and the other is a $23 million dollar Plant Relocation. As of today, the Force Main project is 5 months ahead of the July 2016 schedule and the Plant Relocation is 16 months ahead of schedule. Both projects are tracking a timeline to be complete and online around February 2016. Please note that we have not had any overflow or major permit violations at the wastewater treatment plant since making the emergency repairs in February 2014.

Below is a quick summary of an update I recently received in reference to the sewer manhole overflows: Continue reading →

A hearing for WWALS v Sabal Trail after all –WCTV

The hearing will be about the Suwannee River in Florida, and the same pipeline wants to cross the Withlacoochee River in Georgia (and the Ochlockonee, Flint, and Chattahoochee in Georgia, and the Santa Fe and the other Withlacoochee River in Florida).

Winnie Wright, WCTV, 4 September 2015, WWALS Receives Hearing on Sabal Trail Pipeline,

JASPER, Fla. — The WWALS will receive a hearing regarding the Sabal Trail Pipeline, according to the group.

“Everyone told us we’d never get a hearing, so apparently we interpreted the previous day’s FL-DEP dismissal too broadly. But sometimes if you try, you succeed. And WWALS continues to try to stop the unnecessary, destructive, and hazardous Sabal Trail pipeline,” said Continue reading →

WWALS cites dangers to environment and conflict of interest against Sabal Trail –Miami Herald via Florida Bulldog

A major Miami newspaper picked up a Florida Bulldog story after a week. Meanwhile, CBS Miami covered FL-DEP asking for an administrative law judge. And see previous post for what’s safer than any pipeline: solar power, ready now for the Sunshine State.

Dan Christensen, Miami Herald, 6 September 2015, Pipeline foes ask DEP to deny key permit, cite ‘conflict of interest’ by Gov. Rick Scott,

Opponents of a proposed natural gas pipeline in North Florida are asking Florida regulators to reject the project, citing both dangers to the environment and a “conflict of interest” by the regulators’ boss, Gov. Rick Scott.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced in July its intention to award a crucial environmental permit and rights to drill beneath riverbeds that would allow Houston-based Spectra Energy to construct the controversial, $3 billion Sabal Trail Transmission.

State records show Spectra Energy’s investors have included Scott.

Continue reading →

Pipeline dispute to judge for WWALS v Sabal Trail –CBS Miami

New news venues are covering WWALS v. Sabal Trail.

CBS Miami, 4 September 2015, Judge To Consider Florida Pipeline Permit Dispute,

A judge is set to consider an environmental group’s efforts to block construction of a pipeline mean to transport gas into Florida from Alabama.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protectionin July gave notice that it plans to issue a key permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline, which is planned, at least in part, to help deliver natural gas to power plants operated by Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy Florida.

A Georgia-based environmental group, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc., has fought the permit, pointing to potential impacts of the pipeline on North Florida waterways.

The group last month added an affiliated organization, WWALS Watershed Coalition Florida, Inc., to the case, though Continue reading →

Florida state regulators grant hearing at unknown data for WWALS v. Sabal Trail –Palm Beach Post

You’ve mostly been hearing about WWALS v. Sabal Trail lately because of all the news coverage related to the petition to FL-DEP, which is great. STA. 13083+00 TO STA. 13136+00, GA-FL Line, Hamilton Co., FL, Jumping Gulley Creek But of course WWALS does a lot more than that and WWALS has been around before anybody ever heard of Sabal Trail.

Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 4 September 2015, State regulators grant hearing to anti-pipeline group,

WWALS Watershed coalition and WWALS-Florida which advocate for conservation of Suwannee River and other rivers in south Georgia and North Florida believe the proposed pipeline is not in the public interest and could have severe adverse effects on fish, wildlife, public recreation and navigation.

The pipeline would also go through the fragile karst limestone containing Continue reading →

WWALS to get hearing against Sabal Trail after all –Gainesville Sun

WWALS is about environmental issues such as those FL-DEP said could proceed. However, environmental issues extend far beyond FL-DEP’s narrow view. A pipeline sinkhole could affect springs or wells miles away, and that could affect property values, insurance rates, and of course eco-tourism. Tourism brings in $67 billion a year to Florida. Why would any Florida state agency want to risk that for a pipeline when the Sunshine State can go straight to solar power?

Christopher Curry, Gainesville Sun, 4 September 2015, Part of Sabal Trail challenge will proceed, Continue reading →

FL-DEP grants hearing to WWALS against Sabal Trail pipeline under Suwannee River

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FL-DEP grants hearing to WWALS against Sabal Trail pipeline under Suwannee River

September 4nd, 2015, Jasper, Florida — Yesterday the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FL-DEP) asked for an administrative law judge (ALJ) “to conduct all necessary proceedings required by law and to submit a recommended order to the Department”. Certifiate of Service FL-DEP apparently interprets its Order of the previous day as dismissing only the petition of WWALS-FL, a Florida nonprofit corporation, and not that of the parent corporation, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS). So it seems WWALS gets a hearing after all.

WWALS president John S. Quarterman remarked:

“Everyone told us we’d never get a hearing, so apparently we interpreted the previous day’s FL-DEP dismissal too broadly. But sometimes if you try, you succeed. And WWALS continues to try to stop the unnecessary, destructive, and hazardous Sabal Trail pipeline.”

And it seems FL-DEP is reading the news about this case, because Continue reading →

WWALS to get hearing with FL-DEP about Sabal Trail –Palm Beach Post

FL-DEP is reading the news about the WWALS petition, we know because DEP sent a copy of yesterday’s FL-DEP request for an administrative law judge directly to the Palm Beach Post. The Post had already published a story saying the WWALS petition had been dismissed, and changed it to say WWALS has been granted a hearing. (See also WWALS press release.)

Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 3 September 2015, Florida DEP says anti-pipeline group’s case to be heard,

A conservation group seeking to stop the proposed 465-mile Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline from boring under the iconic Suwannee River has now been granted its request for a hearing.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said late Thursday Continue reading →

FL-DEP requests administrative law judge for WWALS petition against Sabal Trail

WWALS received this notice 3:32 PM Thursday 3 September 2015 (5 Mbyte PDF). It’s 88 pages with the attachments; follow the added links for them. See also WWALS press release.

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

-jsq

Request for assignment of Administrative Law Judge and Notice of preservation of record STATE OF FLORIDA
DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS






OGC CASE NO.: 15-0468

WWALS WATERSHED COALITION, INC.,

   Petitioner,

vs.

SABAL TRAIL TRANSMISSION, LLC and
STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT
OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,

   Respondents.

REQUEST FOR ASSIGNMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE
AND NOTICE OF PRESERVATION OF RECORD

Continue reading →