“We see no reason to risk local citizens’ property, or taxes, or their drinking water,
or any part of the ecology for a profit for a company from some other state,” on WTXL in Florida’s state capital, Tallahassee, yesterday.
Brittany Kleinpeter, WTXL, Tallahassee, Florida, 14 December 2015, Environmental Group is Not Surprised by Judge’s Decision, Continue reading
They did
fix the two typos,
but they didn’t approve or send the letter, as you can see in
their own video.
Here’s more discussion of why they should send such a letter, and pass another resolution.
For more details, see previous blog post and Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 10 Dec 2015, County not sending pipeline opposition letter.
Regarding
Commissioner Gamble Wainwright’s comment that
“my business depends increasingly on energy”
OK, but
“energy is going to cost more and more money”,
sorry, not so.
See Continue reading
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
Standing on their previous resolution against the Hildreth compressor station, SBOCC decided to vote next time on a much stronger resolution to keep the pipeline completely out of Suwannee County. Will Sabal Trail show up for that meeting, 15 December 2015, like Andrea Grover told Carl McKinney of the Suwannee Democrat they would if they had advance notice? I suggest all interested parties come to tha meeting to see, not to mention to counter any “information” Sabal Trail may supply.
Here is SBOCC’s own video of that meeting, in which you can see Commissioner Larry Sessions raise the issue:
I’d like to discuss one thing. Last meeting we discussed at length the Sabal Trail issues, possibly coming through our county and crossing the river a couple times.
I’d like to propose that staff make up a letter or a proposal to restrict the pipeline or maybe have the pipeline avoid all karst areas and wetlands coming through our county. We’re trying to Continue reading
Beyond asking to move the Sabal Trail compressor station, the Suwannee County Board of Commissioners (SBOCC) will consider what else it wants.
SBOCC Meeting — Sabal Trail pipeline route discussion by SBOCC tonight — I was told — 6 pm Parshley Street in Live Oak — right behind Post Office off Ohio Ave (MLK BLVD).
Please attend if able. —Debra Johnson
Will Sabal Trail continue to hide behind the federal Pipeline Safety Act even after two more whistleblowers have come forward about Spectra Energy?
Will Sabal Trail again Continue reading
The one county targetted by every path proposed by Spectra Energy
for its Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline, Suwannee County, Florida,
has told FERC it passed a resolution wanting the Hildreth compressor station moved.
Filed with FERC 30 November 2015, Accession Number: 20151130-0023, “A Resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Suwannee County, Florida etc re Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC under CP15-17.” (PDF on WWALS website.)
For the text, see the previous post. Below are images. Continue reading
National news notes Florida doesn’t want DOAH to listen to EPA about Sabal Trail, after WWALS asked DOAH to do so.
Bruce Ritchie,
POLITICO Florida, 25 November 2015,
Scott administration helped keep scathing EPA pipeline report out of legal challenge,
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott’s top environmental agency helped block a scathing federal report outlining environmental concerns from being submitted as part of a challenge to a controversial natural gas pipeline that would run across some of Florida’s most “environmentally sensitive areas.”
The Sabal Trail pipeline, a joint venture of Spectra Energy, Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light Co.’s parent company, would extend 515 miles from central Alabama to Osceola County. The project, which covers more than 260 miles in Florida, faces a legal challenge to a state permit in Florida from an environmental group named the WWALS Watershed Coalition.
On Oct. 26, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wrote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, saying it had “very significant concerns” about Continue reading
WWALS is a member of the Florida Springs Council (FSC), which is headquartered at Florida Springs Institute (FSI).
The Florida Springs Institute is hosting its end-of-year benefit at Silver Springs this year on December 11 from 6-9 p.m.
and we would like to extend an invitation to all FSC organizations and their members to join us for this fun-filled event. Our keynote speaker for the evening is the former SJRWMD and SWFWMD Executive Director and current author of the blog, SWFWMD Matters (http://swfwmdmatters.blogspot.com/), Emilio “Sonny” Vergara. Tickets for the event are $75 and include admission to Silver Springs State Park and the Silver River Museum, food and drinks, and an opportunity to meet and hear from well-known springs advocates. There will also be a silent auction and a raffle for a Silver River boat tour for 20 people! All proceeds will benefit the work of FSI, a nonprofit organization.
Silver Springs is a famous example of water problems throughout Florida and south Georgia. Greg Allen, NPR, 13 April 2013, Now Endangered, Florida’s Silver Springs Once Lured Tourists, Continue reading
Sabal Trail’s excuse was they didn’t know in advance, even though their attorneys sent a letter beforehand, and they didn’t show up in Albany, GA, either, with weeks of notice. Spectra Energy’s Andrea Grover told the newspaper some other things that also don’t match the public record.
Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 20 November 2015,
Dozens gather in Live Oak to oppose gas pipeline, compress station,
Not one hand raised among the dozens in the room when a county commissioner asked who came to support the proposed Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline which would run through three states and dissect Suwannee County if approved.
Tuesday evening, every parking space at the county’s judicial annex building was full as O’Brien residents, people from Live Oak and activists and experts from as far as New Orleans gathered at the county commission meeting to voice their opposition to the project.
The commission was voting on Continue reading
The Commissioners
unanimously voted for that
resolution
to ask Sabal Trail to move the Hildreth compressor station,
as you can see on
Suwannee County’s own video of that meeting.
First, several people spoke against the compressor station, including: