Monthly Archives: January 2016

At What Cost? Pipelines, Pollution and Eminent Domain in the Rural South 2016-01-15

It’s about Kinder Morgan’s Palmetto petroleum products pipeline, but eminent domain for Spectra’s private profit from its proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline. From the facebook event by our sibling Satilla Riverkeeper:

When: 7PM Friday 15 January 2016

Where: Theater by the Trax, 100 Osborn Street, St Marys, GA 31558

Join Satilla Riverkeeper, St. Marys Earthkeeper and film maker Mark Albertin for the release of a new documentary called “At What Cost? Pipelines, Pollution and Eminent Domain in the Rural South”. This is a FREE event but limited to the first 160 attendees.

This film discusses Continue reading →

Staten Road bridge to Langdale Park, Withlacoochee River through Valdosta 2016-03-20

Update 2016-03-24: Pictures.

Explore the Withlacoochee River as it meanders thru the edge of Valdosta, past Shadrick Sink, Cherry Creek, and under North Valdosta Road, Back along the bank on the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail. Wave at some of your friends in the houses nearby.

Update 2016-03-19: Yes, there are potholes at Staten Road Bridge, but that never stopped us from paddling. Come on down!

Update 2016-03-14: Langdale Park will be closed, but VLPRA will let us in.

Event: facebook or meetup.

When: 9AM Sunday March 20th 2016

Put in: Staten Road Bridge, 7.1 miles north of Valdosta, Lowndes County.

Take out: Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 3781 N. Valdosta Rd., Valdosta, GA 31602, Lowndes County.

Distance: About 5 miles

Duration: About 2.5 hours

Shuttle: About half an hour

Take out: Langdale Park Boat Ramp

Also passing: Bay Branch, Sermons Branch (if that is its real name), Withlacoochee Slough at Cherry Creek, Cherry Creek Sink, and Stillhouse Branch coming out of Valdosta Country Club.

Responsible party: Chris Mericle

Local host: John S. Quarterman

Directions from Valdosta: head north on Ashley Street, turn left on Oak Street Extension,

Directions from I-75: take exit 22, go east on North Valdosta Road, left on Perimeter Road, left on Oak Street, continue onto Staten Road, cross Orr Road, and after about 2/3 of a mile just before the bridge, turn off to the right.

Map from Staten Road Bridge to Langdale Park Boat Ramp

Too low: we’re guessing 2 feet on either the at Skipper Bridge or US 41 gauges.

Too high: flood stage is 15 feet at Skipper Bridge and at US 41.

This outing is Free! But we encourage you to join WWALS today to support our fun outings and important work: /donations/. See our newsletters, and the press Releases and news. And consider joining the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail Committee.

Backup in case of low or high water:

Where: Ray’s Millpond

When: 9AM March 20th 2016

Directions: From Valdosta, north on Bemis Road (GA 125) to Ray City, right on Jones St. to boat ramp.

Coming up even sooner:

For more outings and events as they are posted, see the WWALS calendar.

-jsq

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

Sabal Trail response to WWALS exceptions to ALJ’s Order in WWALS v Sabal Trail & FDEP 2016-01-04

Does this sound like a level playing field to you? Basically Sabal Trail claims “reasonable assurances” mean the pipeline can be completed and that’s a public good for the state of Florida, nevermind any destruction or hazards, while WWALS would have had to demonstrate specific direct damages to many of its members because of pipeline installation just to get standing. A Spectra Energy executive from Houston, Texas automatically has standing to claim safety using evidence from other pipelines and even other pipeline companies,explicitly referencing the U.S. Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, while WWALS and its local members in Florida are precluded from introducing any evidence about safety in the same case, or so Sabal Trail seems to say in its objections filed today 4 January 2016 (PDF) to the judge’s Order in WWALS v Sabal Trail & FDEP.

Seems like the limestone underlying the Floridan Aquifer are not the only cracks and fissures in Florida.

-jsq

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

HAAs in Valdosta drinking water 2015-12-21

Valdosta has a water treatment byproduct over the recommended limit in its drinking water. Janet McMahan supplied the image below of part of a notice, which says there’s no cause for alarm at the moment:

HAA5 Warning

There is nothing you need do at this time. These violations do not pose Continue reading →

Ask Congress to have GAO investigate FERC

It’s time to throw a spotlight on FERC’s favoratism. Maya K. van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, who has been fighting pipeline projects for years, asks all of us to sign a petition to ask two Senators to get the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to “conduct an official investigation into the operations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”).”.

Or ask your member of the House of Representatives Continue reading →