What was that strong gas smell on FL 200 Sunday? Several people reported seeing multiple emergency vehicles at the Sabal Trail Dunnellon Compressor Station just west of FL 200, near the Citrus County line, which is the Withlacoochee (South) River.
Dunnellon Compressor Station, 13544 SW State Rd 200, Dunnellon, FL 34432,
After some time calling various numbers in Marion County (emergency management, Sheriff, Fire, dispatch), the answer is: a gas leak. According to the Fire Department, it could have been an exercise. And they say Sabal Trail has been doing work there for some time.
Which is curious, since Sabal Trail’s most recent biweekly status report, dated only two days before, on 14 July 2017, says nothing about any planned work at the Dunnellon Compressor Station, even though it mentions two other compressor stations. See FERC Accession Number 20170714-5152, “Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC submits its biweekly status report for the Sabal Trail Project under CP15-17.” So that sounds more like an unplanned leak than venting.
Now checking with the various agencies Sabal Trail should have reported any leak or venting to.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
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John, I checked FDEP toxic release website last night. Nothing. I couldn’t access the Biweekly Report until today, as FERC website didn’t work.
As usual, FERC doesn’t work. -jsq
Just an FYI. I work in Marion oaks. The pipeline runs west through an area called rocking r ranch that eventually comes out on hwy 44 in Citrus county. I sit about 2 blocks from the piplelune to have lunch as it is quiet and I see deer and turkey and other wildlife. I have been seeing a state truck, I say a state plate as it is yellow in color, 2 women in it and they have some sort of device in their hand, it’s yellow and black and she waves it back and forth low to the ground. Are they trying to detect gas? I haven’t been able to get a pic of them so I can’t show you what it looks like. I will say this and that is the grass over that pipe is dead. With all the rain we have had, everything surrounding that area is green but the grass over the pipeline itself is dead
Thanks for the information. Can you see which state agency the truck is from? -jsq
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