A pair of ranchers report an epidemic of stillborn calves, four dead mother cows, equipment damaged by too-steep grades, invasive weeds planted as a “cover Crop” by Sabal Trail and now spreading through seeds in cow manure, hay unusable, and:
At this point we are requesting help to repair the land that was never restored. The grade and the grasses require a farmer to repair not a Sable trails employee can repair
We have waited until now for you to not answer or get back with us and still our ranch issues are growing while you look into your options.
Maybe FERC didn’t want the public to see this. FERC’s elibrary shows Accession Number 20180716-5129, Report / Form of alexander cochrane under CP15-17,, but attempts to retrieve the files listed get:
The requested URL was rejected. Please consult with your administrator.
Your support ID is: 7429593144853677013
As so often, FERC’s backup elibrary works when its main one doesn’t.
Letter to FERC from Pamela and Alexander Cochrane
Levy County Property Appraiser shows two parcels owned by Pamela and Alexander Cochrane, parcel 0446000100 at 14370 NE 5 ST, and parcel 0446700500 at 270 NE 150 AVE, both Williston, Florida. You can see that same location in the WWALS map of the digitized path of the Sabal Trail pipeline, where Google Maps volunteers that it’s called Cochrane Family Brangus. It’s possible the effects on the Cochranes are even larger, if they’re also renting nearby fields.
Levy County Property Appraiser,
parcel 0446000100 at 14370 NE 5 ST, and parcel 0446700500 at 270 NE 150 AVE,
both Williston, Florida.
To whom it may concern
Pam and Alex Cochrane on our ranch throughout the construction of the sable trail pipeline through my land and the land I lease to run our ranch we have run into this issues that we feel are above and beyond what was portrayed to us from Sable trails.
1. We had 11 still born calves during the 2016-2017 calving season (2 the year before and 1 this year)
2. We lost 4. four-year-old cows after calving in the 2016-2017 season (zero in the last five years prior and none this year)
3. Damage to equipment from improper land grades
a. Left front tire that the pipeline marker went through because the land was to soft and the tractor pulling a cutter slide sideways down the hill in lose sand.
b. Moco 535 damage from the grade to is too steep to drive over.
4. From the beginning we stood for the ground issues we saw digging into the ground here and what would happen so we made sure it was understood what could happen so we asked that you learn from my mistakes and in the contract that the land have 2 tons of lime per acre before planting, spray the weeds and evasive grasses that could grow if the plan is not followed and last fertilize the ground with 400 pounds of 20-0-10 after it started growing ( in the contract ) to date none of this has been done but they also did not plant any grass on the property the planted a cover crop that grew ( Brunswick grass, Alexander grass and a whole host of evasive weeds then sent us a letter saying they were done.
5. We manage 3 properties one of which we own
Docket number CP15-17
Parcel # fl-le-082
Parcel # fl-le-084
Parcel # Fl-le-085
Every property is spreading weeds that the seed is eaten by the cows and pooped out and spread throughout the land they state they have finished the construction project. But my business is now in disarray I have developed anxiety from dealing with Dwayne Moore and your contractors that did whatever they wanted with Dwayne stating that they don’t work for him.
We now have 3 fields that will require Puro and Roundup to be sprayed to try to stop these weeds and grasses while this year I have completed the first cut of hay on 7/15/2018 it was cut on 7/10/2018 we rolled 164 rolls of hay of which the quality does not match the hay we have grown prior to this pipeline because of the weeds. Now my second cut should come 6 to 7 weeks from now depending on weather if we allow them to spray who is going to pay for the hay we will have to buy because it is clear the ground will take a month to just start growing again.
At this point we are requesting help to repair the land that was never restored. The grade and the grasses require a farmer to repair not a Sable trails employee can repair
We have waited until now for you to not answer or get back with us and still our ranch issues are growing while you look into your options.
So now we sending a copy to FERC to file a complaint.
Thank you
Pamela & Alex Cochrane
Here is Sabal Trail’s alignment map showing the pipeline route south across through NE 5th Street, through parcel 0446000100. North is towards the left. These alignment maps are aligned by the pipeline, like Sabal Trail doesn’t care about the alignment of whatever it gouges through.
Sabal Trail alignment map
1657-PL-DG-70197-365, STA. 19101+00 TO STA. 19154+00, MP 361.76, MP 362, MP 362.77, 19133+13 CL NE 5TH STREET, 19113+02 CL NE 8TH LANE, 19152+83 CL FUTURE ROAD, LEVY COUNTY, FLORIDA, 29.344263, -82.535731,
Courtesy Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
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