The obvious water constitutional amendments passed resoundingly in both Florida and Georgia.
By well more than the required 60%, Continue reading
Category Archives: Economy
Georgia and Florida Constitutional Amendments 2018-11-06
Two Georgia state constitutional amendments are relevant to clean water, of those on the ballot tomorrow in the November 6, 2018, General Election. And in Florida, vote Yes on Florida Amendment 9, to ban offshore oil and gas drilling.
In Georgia I recommend:
- Yes on 1, the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Amendment
- No on 2, appointing instead of electing some judges
Below is why.
Yes on GA 1, Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Amendment
For the title, summary, and detailed constitutional changes, see Continue reading
Pipeline Safety investigation of Homerville Explosion by GA-PSC 2018-11-05
What happened since the August 17th Homerville, GA coffee shop explosion resulting from a leak from an AGL natural gas pipeline, reported as far away as New Orleans, Louisiana and Atlanta, Georgia? The three women airlifted to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida got skin grafts and are recovering, according to occasional updates by one of them on facebook. Let’s all be thankful for their continued recovery.
The Georgia Public Service Commission is investigating the explosion, which may be a good thing, considering this is what the federal Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) knows about that AGL pipeline in Clinch County:
PHMSA NPMS Public Viewer, Clinch County, Georgia, accessed 2018-11-05.
That’s right: PHMSA still doesn’t even show that pipeline exists, there’s no incident displayed, and apparently PHMSA’s map viewer no longer can even talk to google maps correctly.
Terry Richards, Valdosta Daily Times, 29 August 2018, PSC probing Homerville explosion, Continue reading
TECO joins Duke and FPL building solar in Florida 2018-10-29
Solar in Florida is not just for Duke and FPL anymore: Tampa Electric is building 260 megawatt hours of solar power, and the Florida PSC and Office of Public Counsel are praising it for reducing coal and natural gas burning. Even FPSC, which approved the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline boondoggle only five years ago, is starting to look up and see the sun in the Sunshine State.
Michael Moline, FloridaPolitics.com, 29 October 2018, Tampa Electric wins PSC clearance for solar power projects,
The Public Service Commission approved a deal Monday that allows Tampa Electric Co. to build five solar-generating plants and pass along the $46 million tab to its ratepayers.
Note that’s million with a letter m, not like the billions FPL is charging its customers for Sabal Trail. Continue reading
Bradford BOCC to schedule phosphate hearing, and economic development 2018-09-04
Update 2018-12-30: WWALS videos of that meeting.
This Tuesday, Bradford County Commissioners will schedule a public hearing on the phosphate mine application by HPS II. You can go speak or write them a letter.
If the creek don’t rise, I will be there with a video camera. Meanwhile, I have sent them a letter in PDF and an updated copy of the Resolution Against Phosphate Mines in Florida. That Resolution only had five signatures when I last sent it to Bradford BOCC in May, but now 11 of the 14 Waterkeepers of Florida have signed it, and seven of us delivered it to FDEP Secretary Noah Valenstein at the end of July.
When: 9:30 AM Tuesday September 4, 2018
Where:
BRADFORD COUNTY COURTHOUSE
945 North Temple Avenue, Starke, Florida 32091
What: on the agenda:
- County Attorney’s Report’s — Will Sexton
- Schedule the Public Hearing on Application for Special Permit for Mining (Sec. 14.6, LDR’s) submitted on behalf of HPS Enterprise II, LLC.
Also on the agenda is: Continue reading
FPL Echo River Solar Energy Facility, Suwannee County, FL
Let me echo a local resident: “I’m just saying where … is Echo River?” FPL’s new solar farm in Suwannee County just north of I-10 east of Live Oak actually straddles Rocky Creek, which runs north across I-10, through this FPL solar farm, and on into the Suwannee River just downstream of I-75.
Jamie Wachter, Suwannee Democrat, and Valdosta Daily Times, 18 May 2018, FPL plans for solar farm off I-10,
LIVE OAK, Fla. — An 800-acre property that once grew timber alongside Interstate 10 in northeastern Suwannee County may soon sprout solar panels.
This 2016 aerial map from the Suwannee County Property Appraiser does show Continue reading
Deadline for FERC rulemaking comments 2018-07-25
In addition to probably signing onto comments by a larger entity, WWALS is preparing comments for FERC in response to its Notice of Inquiry (NOI) about “Certification of New Interstate Natural Gas Facilities”. FERC’s current deadline is this Wednesday, 25 July 2018. Please send any suggestions you may have to wwalswatershed@gmail.com. Or file your own comments. Apologies for the late request.
Here’s what FERC has asked for:
In the NOI, the Commission sought input on whether, and if so how, the Commission should adjust: (1) its methodology for determining whether there is a need for a proposed project, including the Commission’s consideration of precedent agreements and contracts for service as evidence of such need; (2) its consideration of the potential exercise of eminent domain and of landowner interests related to a proposed project; and (3) its evaluation of the environmental impact of a proposed project. The Commission also sought input on whether there are specific changes the Commission could consider implementing to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its certificate processes including pre-filing, post-filing, and post-order issuance.
Sabal Trail through south Georgia and north Florida.
Map by Geology Prof. Can Denizman for WWALS.net, 17 September 2016,
as part of
Sabal Trail maps digitized.
Here are some relevant documents, starting with a how-to in case you want to file your own comments directly with FERC: Continue reading
Levy Co., FL, ranch invaded by Sabal Trail’s invasive weeds
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 Continue reading
Nutrien (PCS) mining phosphate and water in Hamilton County and soon in Columbia County? 2018-07-11
Update 2023-05-08: Fixed some images.
Five Years Later: Hamilton County Planning Commission wants conditions on Nutrien phosphate mine permit renewal 2023-03-28.
See also: PCS Phosphate Mine dragline access permit application SAJ-1984-04652 2019-10-15.
Thanks to Jim Tatum of OSFR for spotting this op-ed in the Lake City Reporter yesterday by WWALS member and Practicing Geologist Dennis J. Price of Hamilton County, Florida about Nutrien (PCS) mining phosphate and water in Hamilton County and likely planning to expand to Columbia County.
![[Dennis Price explains, 13:50:12, 30.57871, -83.05231]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2018-01-27--hike-dead-river-sink/20180127_135013.jpg)
Photo by John S. Quarterman of Dennis J. Price at the Dead River of the Alapaha River, 2018-01-27.To the Editor:
Much has been written in the last year about Sam Oosterhoudt’s mitigation bank. I was involved in permitting the bank through the Army Corps (ACOE) and The Florida Department of Environmental Regulation. It took about 5 years to get all the permits. Now, 9 years after work began on the project, the phosphate company (then PCS now Nutrien) petitioned the state to shut down the mitigation bank.
I do not know for sure, but, Nutrien may tell you that during the recent sale of PCS and the review of mineral interests owned, they discovered that the mitigation bank had snuck in there and set up shop over their minerals. This probably has some truth to it but I think there is a much more involved reason.
In Hamilton County, Nurtrien/PCS is planning to run out of phosphate to mine in about 10 years, give or take a few years either way. I do not believe they are planning on shutting the doors and leaving. Occidental Chemical Company started mining in Hamilton County Continue reading
Landowner wins over Sabal Trail in jury trial, jsq on Scott James radio 2018-06-29
The just compensation for property takings required by the Fifth Amendment is not “just” compensation, said Scott James. And a jury of peers of a landowner told Sabal Trail to pay up five times what it offered for an easement for its fracked gas pipeline.
“…nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
—Fifth Amendment, U.S. Constitution
Scott said this jury award was big news and asked if it was just compensation. I said yes, front page in the Valdosta Daily Times.
VDT front page
And five times is more just than before. But how is a one-time payment Continue reading