Category Archives: Safety

WWALS: “It did happen”, Sabal Trail: “inadvertent”, WUSF, Tallahassee

Do you think Sabal Trail’s excuse that it was “inadvertent” is enough? Come on down to the US 84 bridge 9:30 this morning, hear more, and have your say.

Turbidity curtains with human for scale (Chris Mericle) Nick Evans, WUSF, 14 November 2016, Drilling Mud Leak In South Georgia Raises New Sabal Trail Pipeline Concerns,

Water activists are raising the alarm over a South Georgia drilling leak in the Withlacoochee River. Sabal Trail is drilling beneath the river to build a more than 500-mile natural gas pipeline stretching from Alabama to Florida.

WWALS Watershed Coalition works to protect Continue reading →

Non-answers in Sabal Trail Biweekly Status Report 2016-11-04

If drilling mud may be released, how can this also be? “No wastewater has been or will be dumped into the Withlacoochee River.” Sabal Trail seems to have contradicted itself. Sabal Trail responses to WWALS questions And didn’t answer the permit questions from WWALS. Nonetheless all their responses are marked “Resolution Date: 10/30/2016”. Nope, not resolved, Sabal Trail. See new questions.

Sabal Trail also said (see the PDF) it was completing drilling under the Flint River, was drilling under the Ochlockonee and Withlacoochee Rivers in Georgia, had just started under the Santa Fe River, was doing clearing and pad preparation for the Chattahoochee and Suwannee Rivers, and hadn’t yet started anything at the Withlacoochee (south) River in Florida. Plus quite a few complaints and questions, including some from FERC, and some archaeological discoveries which Sabal Trail and FERC hid under “Privileged and Confidential information”.

The Sabal Trail responses labeled Continue reading →

Cancer in Waycross and the upper Suwannee River watershed

At least the Waycross cancer problem is finally getting some news media attention. Brenda Goodman and Andy Miller, Georgia Health News, October 20, 2016, Why are kids in Waycross getting cancer? (Part One of Special Report),

Fourteen-year-old Lexi Crawford was attacked by lower back pain so sharp that she couldn’t even sit up to eat. Her mother had to bring her food while she was lying flat on her back. Doctors in Waycross, GA, the town where she lives, thought it was a kidney infection. But after months of antibiotics didn’t clear it up, a visiting doctor in the local ER suggested an X-ray.

What he saw on the scan was terrifying.

Continue reading →

From the air: US 84 HDD Withlacoochee River Sabal Trail 2016-10-22

Update 2016-10-24: Questions filed with FERC in Docket CP15-17 as Accession Number 20161024-5049 and emailed to USACE and GA-EPD (PDF).

Extreme closeup yellow in Withlacoochee River, 30.7952780, -83.4524840 What is that yellow thing in the river, Sabal Trail? Is that a sinkhole you’ve marked at the Lowndes County HDD site? And does blue pipe mean thinner for rural areas like your executive from Houston told us in WWALS v Sabal Trail & FDEP?

FERC gave you permission to Continue reading →

Gov. Deal issues executive order to help pipeline company

The same Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal who has done nothing to protect Georgians from the invading Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline yesterday issued an executive order to help out a pipeline company spilling gasoline in Alabama.

Tomorrow morning you can come help protect our Withlacoochee River from Sabal Trail 9AM Saturday Sept. 17th 2016 at the US84 bridge, halfway between Quitman and Valdosta, GA, off I-75 exit 16.


Photo: Colonial Pipeline

Dennis Pillion, al.com, 15 September 2015, Alabama, Georgia declare state of emergency after pipeline spill, Continue reading →

Video: #NoDAPL #NoSabalTrail –WWALS 2016-09-10

“WWALS, the Waterkeeper® Affiliate for the upper Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers, supports the Standing Rock Sioux against D.A.P.L.”

So say we all about the oil Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota and the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, in this video. You can join us today at 5:30 PM on the Suwannee River in Florida or Saturday morning on the Withlacoochee River in Georgia. News media are invited. We’ll be taking more video for social media: have your say!

Continue reading →

Sabal Trail, Bell Bros, WWALS, Solar in APN 2016-09-12

The Bell brothers, Flint Riverkeeper, and John S. Quarterman of WWALS all against Sabal Trail in an Atlanta publication. Come on down to the Suwannee River Tuesday near Jasper, FL or to the Withlacoochee River between Quitman and Valdosta, GA 9AM Saturday Sep. 17th to see for yourself what we’re protecting and to say your piece on video.

Gloria Tatum, Atlanta Progressive News, 12 September 2016, Proposed SabaL Gas Pipeline runs through aquifer, wetlands, sinkhole territory, Continue reading →

Delay Roline Redoux as Suwannee River rises after Hurricane Hermine 2016-09-05

Update 2016-09-04: “We’re on for Monday morning! River excellent condition,” says expedition leader Phil Hubbard.

With water still coming downstream from Hurricane Hermine and storms following, USGS WSPF1 at White Springs expedition leader Phil Hubbard says:

I’m thinking looking at the weather forecast, the only safe call we can make today is to delay till Monday pend river level. The rain probability is actually higher on Sunday but looks good for Monday.

So we’re rescheduling Redoux Roline for 10 AM Monday morning September 5th 2016, still at Roline.

At lest now now we know the Suwannee River won’t be too low!

Hoping to see you there. Details are still in the first blog post.

-jsq

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Continue reading →

Chris Beckham broadcasting on emergency power 2016-09-02

We talked about outings at 7:30 as scheduled, although it’s not clear who could hear. The whole St Augustine Rd area is dark, including Black Crow’s online streaming. We’re scheduling another time for next week. And thanks to Chris and the crew who camped out in the station all night!

Chris Beckham asked if we would reschedule the Suwannee River outing. Yep, delayed until Monday due to weather.

Here are Continue reading →

Sabal Trail library funding on Suwannee County Agenda 2016-07-05

Sabal Trail offers $60,000 to a library in Suwannee County, the only county through which every path ever proposed by Sabal Trail would pass. Suwannee County Route Map The same Florida county where another hydrogeology report says Sabal Trail’s 36-inch fracked methane pipeline drilling would risk springs, caverns, the Suwannee River, and everyone’s drinking water in the Floridan Aquifer.

If you think $60,000 or $60 million or $3 billion is not enough for that hazard to our water and property rights, you can come and say so.

When: 6PM Tuesday July 5th 2016

where: Judicial Annex
218 Parshley St. SW
Live Oak, FL 32064

Event: facebook

What: On the agenda for the Suwannee Board of County Commissioners: Continue reading →