Category Archives: Economy

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 →

WWALS exceptions to judge’s recommended order in WWALS v. Sabal Trail & FDEP

Who could achieve standing or win a case with these criteria?

The judge’s Recommended Order applied the wrong standard as to whether the pipeline is in the public interest (Exception 25), applied an incorrect standard of proof (Exception 16), ignored the additional protections due the Outstanding Florida Waters of the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers (Exception 17), and ignored evidence that the granting of a Sovereign Submerged Lands Easement would adversely affect the lands under those rivers (Exception 19), not to mention the Floridan Aquifer.

In alleging WWALS does not have standing, the judge ignored a case previously cited by FDEP (Exception 23), and added an unprecedented factor of “potential injury” that would prevent associations from ever achieving standing unless they could prove the ultimate facts of the case (Exception 14).

Did the judge really mean to imply FDEP’s and Sabal Trail’s own witnesses were not competent when they upon questioning provided testimony that FDEP failed to acquire reasonable assurances that the issuance of an environmental resource permit and easement on sovereign submerged lands would not be contrary to the “public interest” (Exception 15)? If those public servants’ testimony wasn’t competent, how can those same personnel be competent to evaluate permit applications?

These are just a few of the 25 exceptions filed Monday 28 December 2015 by WWALS Counsel William R. Wohlsifer and Leighanne C. Boone. See also the WWALS video of Attorney Wohlsifer’s concluding statement in the hearing.

Here is PDF of the judge’s Recommended Order and PDF of the WWALS Exceptions. Below is the text of those exceptions. Continue reading →

The future of energy and Sabal Trail pipeline at Suwannee Cuonty Commission –Jasper News

Several Suwannee County Commissioners are studying the difficult and constantly-changing subject of energy, although the Chairman said he had already made up his mind,
Carl McKinney’s droll legend refers on his picture refers to Chris Mericle as “Jasper man”. The map shows sinkholes near the proposed pipeline path across the Suwannee River and the Falmouth Cathedral Cave System. at the Suwannee County Board of Commissioners meeting last night. They did nothing about a further resolution against Sabal Trail, although numerous citizens (many of them WWALS members) from Suwannee County and nearby counties helped discuss the situation.

Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 16 December 2015, The future of energy: Debate takes over Suwannee commission meeting,

Following the Suwannee County Commission’s decision last week not to formally oppose the Sabal Trail pipeline entering its jurisdiction, the public engaged commissioners in a debate over the future of energy.

At Tuesday evening’s commission meeting, several members of the public discussed with commissioners the advantages of solar power, Florida’s energy needs and environmental stewardship.

During public comment, local resident Debra Johnson asked Continue reading →

Judge ruled against WWALS in DOAH case: WWALS fights on

The judge’s ruling was disappointing, but not unexpected. He found for the Respondents Sabal Trail and FDEP on every issue, even standing. WWALS and others will fight on for the Suwannee River, for the Floridan Aquifer, and for the property rights of local citizens against this pipeline boondoggle.

Indeed, “the project would result in unavoidable temporary and permanent losses of portions of wetlands along the route.” Mitigation somewhere else, not even in the same watershed, is no excuse. Nor does such “mitigation” stop the eminent domain takings of local Florida citizens’ lands, or the bulldozing of a grandmother’s ashes, for the profit of a company from Houston, Texas.

This ruling, with its rather remarkable irregularities, appears to provide additional grounds for appeal beyond those we already knew. The judge repeatedly said in the hearing, and we quoted in the WWALS Proposed Recommended Order, that activities such as boating, swimming, fishing, and scuba diving counted for standing, yet his Order only accepts Continue reading →

Sabal Trail now aims to cross Withlacoochee River north of US 84

Drilling down in Brooks County, under the Withlacoochee River, the CSX Railroad, and Old Quitman Highway, surfacing in Lowndes County, Sabal Trail has moved its proposed Withlacoochee HDD crossing upstream. The actual river crossing appears to be at about 30.795273, -83.452722.

This is all according to Continue reading →

Please join the opposition to the Sabal Trail watershed invader –WWALS to SSRWPC

This letter is for today’s Monday 20 July 2015 SSRWPC meeting, at Aniston’s Restaurant, 1404 W. Baker Highway, Douglas, GA. See also the LAKE videos of last month’s SSRWPC meeting. -jsq

PDF

Dear Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council,

WWALS Watershed Coalition is the WATERKEEPER® Affiliate representing the watersheds of the Withlacoochee and Little Rivers, which are in the proposed paths of the Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline through Lowndes, Brooks, and Colquitt Counties Georgia.

WWALS has long opposed that pipeline from Alabama to Florida, which is funded by NextEra Energy of Florida and Duke Energy of North Carolina for construction by Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas. WWALS is an intervenor against it with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on docket CP15-17.

Please ask FERC to deny a permit for Sabal Trail

Continue reading →

Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources –Theodore Roosevelt

Thanks for sharing the letter from Pope Francis. I hope people sit up and take notice! As you pointed out in your post, with the quotes from MLK Jr., it is not the first time we have heard this. Here is an even older Quote from Teddy Roosevelt:

“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”
—Theodore Roosevelt

When are we going to listen.

cjm

Board and Committee members sought by WWALS Watershed Coalition, a WATERKEEPER® Affiliate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Board and Committee members sought by WWALS Watershed Coalition, a WATERKEEPER® Affiliate

Hahira, June 20th, 2015 — From paddle races to opposing pipelines to building water trails for recreation, landowner protection, and economy, local nonprofit WWALS Watershed Coalition seeks additional members, committee members, and board members to extend advocacy for the watersheds of the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, and Little Rivers. Applications are now being accepted online for committee and board members to be elected at the July 8th Annual Meeting in Adel, Georgia, and anyone can pay for a membership at any time.

WWALS Secretary Garry Gentry of Tifton said:

“I have been involved with WWALS since almost the beginning and common sense says we need clean water and good stewardship of our planet to leave as a legacy for the next generation.”

Last month thirty people paddled and won prizes Continue reading →

This sister earth now cries out to us –Pope Francis

Pope Francis makes a religious, ethical, humane, scientific, and practical case for stewardship of this earth and its waters, with moral and ethical bases for “the choices which determine our behaviour”. His case does not require any reader to be Catholic or Christian, as the Pope integrates his faith with the science of an integral ecology. You don’t have to agree with everything he wrote (I don’t) to agree with the gist of it, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

“all life is interrelated”

Pope Francis’ letter to the world is long but well worth reading in full, and these excerpts I hope will encourage everyone to do that.

ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME, 18 June 2015, Vatican City. Continue reading →

Against Sabal Trail in Savannah 2015-05-21

Like Kinder Morgan and its Palmetto Project through southeast Georgia, Spectra Energy, also of Houston, acts entitled to gouge its Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline through southwest Georgia, taking local lands, causing widespread environmental destruction, and risking leaks and explosions local and state taxes would have to pay for. Come hear about the fight so far against this invader and some ideas on what to do next, 7PM Thursday May 21st in Savannah. WWALS President John S. Quarterman and an affected landowner will speak.

State and local taxes will end up paying to clean up any leaks or explosions from either pipeline: both Spectra Energy from Houston, half owner of Sabal Trail, and Kinder Morgan from Houston, behind the Palmetto Project, tell the SEC every year they don’t have enough insurance to cover major incidents. Push Back the Pipeline, recently convinced Georgia Governor Nathan Deal to oppose the Palmetto pipeline, and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, too. Maybe they can help persuade both to oppose Sabal Trail.

Connect Savannah, today, (also on Push Back the Pipeline), Georgia’s Other Unwanted and Unneeded Pipeline,

When: Thu., May 21, 7 p.m.
Phone: 912-961-6190
Price: Free
Where: First Presbyterian Church
520 Washington Ave Savannah-Eastside
912-354-7615
www.fpc.presbychurch.net
The Palmetto Pipeline is not the only pipeline project in Georgia Continue reading →

WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) is Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

A healthy watershed with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable water.