What if a sinkhole develops years later under the proposed pipeline
in south Georgia or north Florida,
and Sabal Trail declares force majeure and doesn’t pay, like FGT
did in Louisiana in 2013?
Numerous news stories are linked in the LAKE blog post, but let’s pick just one.
Winnie Wright, WCTV, 5 August 2015, 150-Foot Sinkhole Opens in Lowndes County Residential Area, Continue reading
Passed a resolution, actually, but that contributes towards an ordinance or a statewide ban on fracking in Florida.
Our Santa Fe River, 4 August 2015, Sometimes You Win One!
Members of the Floridians Against Fracking Anti-Fracking Coalition and other supporters and friends celebrated tonight when the Monticello City Council voted unanimously to support a ban on fracking by resolution. Multiple members from OSFR were present and addressed the Council.
Today, August 4, 2015 was an important date for Continue reading
This went out yesterday to WWALS members.
TELL GOVERNOR DEAL THAT THE SABAL TRAIL GAS PIPELINE THREATENS PRIVATE PROPERTY, CLEAN WATER, AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
Please take immediate action, today, to tell Governor Nathan Deal’s office
that you oppose the siting of Spectra Energy’s Sabal Trail “natural” gas pipeline through the Withlacoochee River watershed. Call 404-656-1776 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and tell the staffer that answers, “I am opposed to routing the Sabal Trail pipeline through the Withlacoochee River watershed; I urge Governor Deal to do everything in his power to stop this project”.
Also please sign this petition Continue reading
Sunday the Membership Committee sent this message to WWALS members:
Hello WWALS Members,
It’s been a busy month here in South Georgia and North Florida. This newsletter has updates on our Waterkeeper® Affiliate area, educational events, outings and water trails. Looking forward to Continue reading
Per unanimous vote of the WWALS Board, WWALS has joined
Floridians Against Fracking:
The goal of the coalition is a ban on fracking in Florida. To that end, we support state, and local efforts to ban fracking.
Why?
Fracking and drilling associated with fracking for oil and natural gas poses a direct and immediate threat to the drinking water, air, food, health, wildlife, climate, and economy of communities across Florida….
What are the tenets of the coalition?
Continue reading
The reporter who broke the FL Gov. Rick Scott conflict of interest story a year ago now finds even more conflicts, some related to FL-DEP’s intent to issue a permit to Sabal Trail for its fracked methane pipeline. As he mentions, WWALS will be filing a petition to FL-DEP Friday.
Dan Christensen, FloridaBulldog, 4 August 2015, Gov. Scott’s pipeline investment gets a boost from Florida environmental regulators,
State regulators are quietly backing the award of a crucial environmental permit to a company that wants to build a controversial $3-billion natural gas pipeline in North Florida. The company’s investors have included Gov. Rick Scott.
Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), overseen by the governor, published Continue reading
Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter says the Naylor Boat Ramp is
on schedule for completion this fall, provided the Georgia Department
of Natural Resources returns the appropriate permits.
At last night’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Sesssion, WWALS president John S. Quarterman displayed the Alapaha River Water Trail brochures, pointing out the Naylor Boat Ramp on the map. He, ok, I, asked what was the status of that project that Lowndes County is building with SPLOST funds.
Nobody answered in the public meeting, but afterwards Continue reading
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
The Upper Suwannee River is new to the
WWALS Mission.
WWALS Watershed Coalition, a WATERKEEPER® Affiliate,
applied in July to WATERKEEPER® Alliance to add that new
territory, which was approved 15 July 2015.
Three years ago when WWALS was forming, we decided not to include the Upper Suwannee at that time, because we wanted time to solidify WWALS as an organization in its smaller territory of the watersheds of the Withlacoochee and Alapaha Rivers and all their tributaries. Even then, we put the S in WWALS so it could be redefined to mean Suwannee, so our acronym would expand to Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, and Suwannee River watersheds.
WWALS now asks Waterkeeper to add Upper Suwannee HUC 03110201 to WWALS territory.
HUC is United States Geological Survey (USGS) jargon for Hydrologic Unit Code. Upper Suwannee HUC 03110201 is everything from the Withlacoochee Confluence upstream that drains into the Suwannee River. This 2720 square miles: Continue reading
This clarification of the WWALS Mission was adopted by the WWALS Board at its 8 July 2015 Board Meeting:
WWALS Watershed Coalition advocates for conservation and stewardship of the
Withlacoochee,
Willacoochee,
Alapaha,
Little, and Upper
Suwannee River
watersheds in south Georgia and north Florida through awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.
For what each of those terms means, and how they relate to the Goals for 2015 adopted at the same meeting, see Explanation.
To help WWALS accomplish these goals to further its mission, you can join WWALS today!
-jsq