Category Archives: Pipeline

Update: Sabal Trail Pipeline, Alapaha, Suwannee, and Withlacoochee Rivers, WWALS Outing 2015-08-15

Update 2015-08-14: Now plus Five Holes caves at Suwannee River State Park!

This flag marks where Sabal Trail plans to drill under the Suwannee River, pictured today by Chris Mericle, who also pictured a number spraypainted on a tree and remarked:

I know it is a small thing but, it is this lack of respect for nature that we will be forced to endure if this pipeline is permitted.

With FL DEP proposing to issue a permit for Sabal Trail, let’s go investigate, and have some fun at the same time.

First we’ll look at the Alapaha Rise, which is where some of the water that disappears from the Alapaha River at its sinks comes back up out of the Floridan Aquifer. To get to the Rise we paddle upstream on the Suwannee River, then Continue reading →

AJC video: Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Through 9 Counties

Most people are opposed to the Sabal Trail pipeline, as the Colquitt County landowner says. Drilling in our fragile karst limestone “could potentially carry any contamination down into our groundwater source”, as VSU Geology Prof. Don Thieme says. Why should we risk that for profit for companies from somewhere else and no benefit for here?

Atlanta Journal Constitution, Proposed Natural Gas Pipeline Through 9 Counties, Continue reading →

Tonight: Hamilton County Commission and FL DEP Sabal Trail permit

TONIGHT in Hamilton County, 6 pm:

FYI….pipelines are a direct result of fracking in our country. The Suwannee and Santa Fe River is faced with this destructive transport system.

Hamilton County already wrote and voted in favor of supporting a statewide ban on fracking. I do not see them being in favor of a pipeline cutting through their community for gas infrastructure. BUT, we’ll see after tonight. If you can attend this meeting or share this with others who may, that would be good to be a part of the discussion.

Please share this: FL DEP to issue permit trusting Sabal Trail to prevent leaks into the Floridan Aquifer.

Hamilton Co. BOCC is taking up this issue tonight at their regular meeting. The meeting starts at 6pm at the courthouse. This is not on the agenda, so it will be discussed at the end of the meeting and public comment may not be allowed.

Chris Mericle

FL DEP to issue permit trusting Sabal Trail to prevent leaks into the Floridan Aquifer

Canada’s National Energy Board just ordered Spectra Energy to fix chronic corrosion and leak problems after numerous fines, as did U.S. PHMSA before, yet 300x194 Horizontal Directional Drilling, in Suwannee River crossing, by Sabal Trail Transmission, for WWALS.net, 10 July 2015 Florida’s DEP plans to trust Spectra to build the Sabal Trail pipeline on top of our Floridan Aquifer, drilling under the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers.

This in the Notice of Intent to Issue Sabal Trail Transmission of 10 July 2015 sounds good without that context: 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 →

Adopted 2015 Goals, WATERKEEPER, Valdosta Wastewater: WWALS Board Videos and Minutes 2015-04-08

In April the WWALS board approved a dozen goals for 2015, reviewed upcoming outings and the since-approved WATERKEEPER® Affiliate application, as well as the Valdosta Wastewater and pipeline situations, and moved ahead on planning for the since-solidified Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail Committee, while adding to a couple of committees. Here are the Minutes of the 8 April 2015 WWALS Quarterly Board Meeting approved at last night’s Board Meeting, and videos of that April meeting.

Here’s a video playlist:


Adopted 2015 Goals, WATERKEEPER, Valdosta Wastewater:
WWALS Board Videos and Minutes 2015-04-08
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS),
IHOP, Adel, Cook County County, Georgia.

-jsq

Spectra hires new lobbying firm in Atlanta for Sabal Trail

A Spectra is haunting Atlanta!

Apparently Spectra is feeling the heat about its proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline and has pushed the revolving door to get some lobbyists in Atlanta. We tried to warn you that you are surrounded, Atlanta!

So much for FERC being the only deciding body. Don’t forget to sign the Petition to GA Gov. Deal to oppose Sabal Trail pipeline.

Greg Bluestein, AJC Insider, 7 July 2015, Trio of bipartisan Atlanta lobbyists opening up new shop, Continue reading →

Douglas again for Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council 2015-07-1520

From Leigh Askew Elkins of UGA via GRN, same city as last month, different venue:

The Suwannee — Satilla Regional Water Council will convene on Monday, July 20, 2015 at 10:00am in the meeting room in Aniston’s Restaurant, 1404 W. Baker Highway, Douglas, GA. Registration will begin at 9:30am. Among other things, the Council will affirm its plans for enhancing inter-council planning and for engaging key implementing actors. The Council will also discuss its recommendations for plan revisions.

Seems like it’s time for them to say something about the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline, and about the shale basin under our Floridan Aquifer. Maybe WWALS will send something to them about that.

-jsq

WWALS signs on to Global Frackdown

Ban fracking before it spreads, and ban it quickly enough to stop new pipelines! WWALS signed the Global Frackdown organized by Food and Water Watch:

Fracking threatens the air we breathe, the water we drink, the communities we love and the climate on which we depend.

The specific message WWALS added when signing 29 June 2015 was:

Fracking is driving a company from Houston, Texas to try to gouge a pipeline across our fragile watersheds and drinking water aquifer. Georgia is already the fastest-growing U.S. market for solar power, and just passed a solar financing law that will make it grow even faster. Meanwhile, a shale gas basin has been discovered under south Georgia and north Florida. Ban fracking before it spreads, and ban it quickly enough to stop new pipelines!

Remember, WWALS supports a fracking ban in Floirida, and Continue reading →

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 →