Tag Archives: Aquifer

WWALS in Albany, GA newspaper

Sabal Trail opposition aware across Georgia and Florida.

Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 13 September 2015, FERC Sabal Trail ruling comes amidst protest: Group holds fasting vigil outside federal agency’s offices,


Photo: TONY CASSADY, 31 May 2015, in Arkansas River pipeline blowout occurred on Sunday morning, cause still unknown, by Benjamin Hardy, Arkansas Blog, 3 June 2015

Meanwhile, in Florida an environmental group has filed a petition with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to stop development of the pipeline over concerns about the safety record of Spectra Energy, the Houston-based company that will build the pipeline. The group points to a May pipeline rupture under the Arkansas River that forced two miles of the river to be shut down after an estimated 3.9 million cubic feet of natural gas was released.

Nope, WWALS doesn’t want that Arkansas River rupture to be repeated under the Suwannee River in Florida, the Withlacoochee River in Georgia, or any other river. The reporter seems to have heard about WWALS via Continue reading →

GA-EPD plans to certify Sabal Trail within 30 days unless public comments; ditto USACE

People can request a hearing by the state of Georgia or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stop GA-EPD or the USACE from rubberstamping Southeast Market Pipelines Project Overview Sabal Trail’s use of wetlands within 30 days from Friday. USACE explicitly asks for public comments on “cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest”, unlike FL-DEP’s attempts to narrow the issue. Presumably this includes crossings of the Chattahoochee, Flint, Ochlockonee, and Withlacoochee Rivers in Georgia (and the Suwannee, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee (south) Rivers in Florida and other rivers in Alabama), although this USACE Jacksonville office public notice about the Clean Waters Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act doesn’t specify. It was released Friday September 11th just like the one USACE Mobile District released that same day on Proposed Discharge of Sabal Trail Fill Material. Apparently you can ask for a public hearing by USACE in Alabama or Florida as well as in Georgia.

Here’s the Jacksonville USACE public notice: Continue reading →

Sabal Trail right in the middle of the most vulnerable area of the Floridan Aquifer –John S. Quarterman for WWALS on Chris Beckham radio show 2015-08-31

The main point:

“I’ve got an independent route: let’s cancel this pipeline, and the Sunshine State should go directly to solar power.”

Here’s the video: Continue reading →

Sabal Trail in most vulnerable area of the Floridan Aquifer –Orlando Sentinel

Orlando is just as affected as the Suwannee River by risks of the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline proposed by Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas. You can protest to FL-DEP, FERC, and your local, state, and federal elected and appointed officials, and to the news media.

Mary Shanklin, Orlando Sentinel, 9 September 2015, Natural-gas pipeline to Florida draws environmental concerns,

The Sabal Trail Pipeline has drawn opposition from a Florida group affiliated with WWALS Watershed Coalition Inc., which is based in Georgia. A chief concern is that the pipeline could impact Florida waterways and the drinking-water supply, said John S. Quarterman, director of the Florida and Georgia WWALS groups.

This is according to evidence FL-DEP itself sent to FERC in March 2014, showing the proposed pipeline path going through the most vulnerable area of the Floridan Aquifer, which as you can see on the map they included continues down to Orlando. Continue reading →

WWALS cites dangers to environment and conflict of interest against Sabal Trail –Miami Herald via Florida Bulldog

A major Miami newspaper picked up a Florida Bulldog story after a week. Meanwhile, CBS Miami covered FL-DEP asking for an administrative law judge. And see previous post for what’s safer than any pipeline: solar power, ready now for the Sunshine State.

Dan Christensen, Miami Herald, 6 September 2015, Pipeline foes ask DEP to deny key permit, cite ‘conflict of interest’ by Gov. Rick Scott,

Opponents of a proposed natural gas pipeline in North Florida are asking Florida regulators to reject the project, citing both dangers to the environment and a “conflict of interest” by the regulators’ boss, Gov. Rick Scott.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection announced in July its intention to award a crucial environmental permit and rights to drill beneath riverbeds that would allow Houston-based Spectra Energy to construct the controversial, $3 billion Sabal Trail Transmission.

State records show Spectra Energy’s investors have included Scott.

Continue reading →

Pipeline dispute to judge for WWALS v Sabal Trail –CBS Miami

New news venues are covering WWALS v. Sabal Trail.

CBS Miami, 4 September 2015, Judge To Consider Florida Pipeline Permit Dispute,

A judge is set to consider an environmental group’s efforts to block construction of a pipeline mean to transport gas into Florida from Alabama.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protectionin July gave notice that it plans to issue a key permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline, which is planned, at least in part, to help deliver natural gas to power plants operated by Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy Florida.

A Georgia-based environmental group, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc., has fought the permit, pointing to potential impacts of the pipeline on North Florida waterways.

The group last month added an affiliated organization, WWALS Watershed Coalition Florida, Inc., to the case, though Continue reading →

Florida state regulators grant hearing at unknown data for WWALS v. Sabal Trail –Palm Beach Post

You’ve mostly been hearing about WWALS v. Sabal Trail lately because of all the news coverage related to the petition to FL-DEP, which is great. STA. 13083+00 TO STA. 13136+00, GA-FL Line, Hamilton Co., FL, Jumping Gulley Creek But of course WWALS does a lot more than that and WWALS has been around before anybody ever heard of Sabal Trail.

Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 4 September 2015, State regulators grant hearing to anti-pipeline group,

WWALS Watershed coalition and WWALS-Florida which advocate for conservation of Suwannee River and other rivers in south Georgia and North Florida believe the proposed pipeline is not in the public interest and could have severe adverse effects on fish, wildlife, public recreation and navigation.

The pipeline would also go through the fragile karst limestone containing Continue reading →

WWALS to get hearing against Sabal Trail after all –Gainesville Sun

WWALS is about environmental issues such as those FL-DEP said could proceed. However, environmental issues extend far beyond FL-DEP’s narrow view. A pipeline sinkhole could affect springs or wells miles away, and that could affect property values, insurance rates, and of course eco-tourism. Tourism brings in $67 billion a year to Florida. Why would any Florida state agency want to risk that for a pipeline when the Sunshine State can go straight to solar power?

Christopher Curry, Gainesville Sun, 4 September 2015, Part of Sabal Trail challenge will proceed, Continue reading →

FL-DEP grants hearing to WWALS against Sabal Trail pipeline under Suwannee River

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FL-DEP grants hearing to WWALS against Sabal Trail pipeline under Suwannee River

September 4nd, 2015, Jasper, Florida — Yesterday the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FL-DEP) asked for an administrative law judge (ALJ) “to conduct all necessary proceedings required by law and to submit a recommended order to the Department”. Certifiate of Service FL-DEP apparently interprets its Order of the previous day as dismissing only the petition of WWALS-FL, a Florida nonprofit corporation, and not that of the parent corporation, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS). So it seems WWALS gets a hearing after all.

WWALS president John S. Quarterman remarked:

“Everyone told us we’d never get a hearing, so apparently we interpreted the previous day’s FL-DEP dismissal too broadly. But sometimes if you try, you succeed. And WWALS continues to try to stop the unnecessary, destructive, and hazardous Sabal Trail pipeline.”

And it seems FL-DEP is reading the news about this case, because Continue reading →

WWALS petition against Sabal Trail dismissed by FL-DEP on technicality, not real issues

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WWALS petition against Sabal Trail dismissed by FL-DEP on technicality, not real issues

2015-09-04: New DEP message, new press release.

September 3rd, 2015, Jasper, Florida — Despite the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FL-DEP)’s Order of yesterday dismissing WWALS’ amended petition with prejudice on a technicality, including an attempt to deny FL-DEP’s responsibilities to the citizens of Florida, WWALS and WWALS-FL continue to point out the obvious: Spectra Energy’s proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline is not in the public interest, would interfere with property rights far beyond the crossing of the Suwannee River, would not maintain natural conditions, and could have severe adverse effects on fish, wildlife, public recreation, and navigation, especially if it blew up like a Spectra Energy pipeline did in May under the Arkansas River.

Hamilton County, FL resident Deanna Mericle, who wrote much of the WWALS amended petition that was dismissed, responds,

“DEP is doing a disservice to the citizens of Hamilton and Suwannee Counties by not hearing the legitimate argument and hiding behind a questionable technicality. I am sorely disappointed but not surprised.”

Yesterday WWALS received Continue reading →