Tag Archives: Department of Environmental Protection

Why is Florida DEP trusting this company with our valuable natural resources? –WWALS to FL-DEP in Florida Bulldog

The reporter quoted extensively from the WWALS amended petition, and got responses from Spectra Energy and the Florida governor’s office. Spectra claimed it’s safer than other pipeline companies, which is like saying one cigarette is safer than another. You know what’s safer? Stop smoking! And stop building pipelines: go straight to solar power for the Sunshine State.

Dan Christensen, Florida Bulldog, Pipeline foes ask DEP to deny key permit; Cite ‘conflict of interest’ by Gov. 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 (NYSE:SE) to construct the controversial, $3-billion Sabal Trail Transmission.

State records show Continue reading →

No need for this pipeline. Solar power is what we should be doing. –WWALS on WCTV 2015-08-28

As we prepared to put in at US 84 to paddle up the Withlacoochee River to the proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline crossing, WCTV interviewed us, and indeed she picked out the main point.

Update 2015-08-31: I’m told people did see this story live on air on WCTV.

Winnie Wright, WCTV, 28 August 2015, WWALS Watershed Coalition Files Petition Against Pipeline,

Hamilton County, FL—WWALS Watershed Coalition filed an amended petition Friday, opposing the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s intent to issue a building permit for a 36-inch natural pipeline under the Suwannee River in Florida.

“The combination of all this opposition, what we of course want to do is to stop the pipeline”, says John Quarterman, with WWALS. “There’s no need for this pipeline. Solar power is what we should be doing.”

Some of the other opposition I referred to was Continue reading →

Filing petition with Florida Friday against Sabal Trail

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 27th, 2015, Hahira — Continuing to oppose the unnecessary, destructive, and hazardous invading Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline, WWALS Watershed Coalition will file Friday an amended petition with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FL-DEP) opposing that agency’s intent to issue a permit for Sabal Trail Transmission to bore its 36-inch pipeline from Hamilton County to Suwannee County under the Suwannee River in Florida.

Update 2015-08-28: Here is the amended petition filed today.

WWALS originally filed a petition on August 7th. FL-DEP denied that petition on August 14th, giving a list of reasons and fourteen days to amend. WWALS will file an amended petition at the end of that fortnight, on Friday August 28th. Numerous residents of Florida have become WWALS members, and some will be named in the new filing.

Deanna Mericle, of Hamilton County, Florida, notes, Continue reading →

Scott backs environmentally dubious pipeline from firm he invested in –Miami New Times

Adding a video from the Arkansas River pipeline geyser, another Miami paper picked up last week’s Florida Bulldog story.

Tim Elfrink, Miami New Times, 17 August 2015, Scott backs environmentally dubious pipeline from firm he invested in, Continue reading →

WWALS hopes to block Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline –Ocala StarBanner

Add that many WWALS members, some pictured here on the Suwannee River at the proposed Sabal Trail crossing, live in Florida, and this article from that same day is a good summary of the situation a week ago. It was also picked up by Bakken.com, “Powered by Shale Plays Media”.

Christopher Curry, Ocala StarBanner, 15 August 2015, Georgia-based group hopes to block natural gas pipeline, Continue reading →

Miami Herald picked up Spectra accidents and ties to FL Gov. Scott

From Florida Bulldog to a daily with more than 140,000 circulation.

Dan Christensen, Miami Herald, 16 August 2015, Pipeline company with tie to Gov. Scott and state backing, has history of accidents,

Spectra Energy, the company that state environmental regulators say should be allowed to construct a 267-mile-long natural gas pipeline in North Florida, has a checkered history of accidents and violations of federal safety rules in the U.S. and Canada dating back decades.

FloridaBulldog.org reported last week Continue reading →

Spectra’s history of accidents and ties to FL Gov. Scott

Do we want to risk Sabal Trail’s fracked methane pipeline blowing out under the Suwannee or Withlacoochee Rivers like Spectra’s Texas Eastern Pipeline blew out under the Arkansas River in May? WWALS doesn’t, which is why we filed the petition to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection asking them not to issue a permit for Sabal Trail.

The Little Rock blowout is one of several recent Spectra incidents Dan Christensen finds today in FloridaBulldog.org, Pipeline company with tie to Gov. Scott, and state backing, has history of accidents, Continue reading →

WWALS petition to FL DEP vs. Sabal Trail

This is the petition (PDF) WWALS filed Friday 7 Aug 2015 against FL-DEP’s intent to isue a permit for Sabal Trail to drill under the Suwannee River and otherwise destroy wetlands and add hazards for no benefit.

Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas also wants to drill the Sabal Trail pipeline under the Santa Fe River and the Withlacoochee south River (the one that flows from the Green Swamp to the Gulf). Sabal Trail also wants to drill under WWALS’ Withlacoochee River that flows into the Suwannee, but in Georgia, so that is not a topic of this petition.

Remember there are still plenty of things you can do to help stop this pipeline invader from destroying forests, fields, and streams, adding hazards for no benefit.

And you can come see where Sabal Trail proposes to cross the Suwannee this Saturday, August 15th, as we paddle down the river!

-jsq

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

STATE OF FLORIDA

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Continue reading →

Hamilton Co. FL and Lowndes Co. GA asked to oppose Sabal Trail

Two WWALS board members asked their county commissions in two states to oppose Sabal Trail. The Hamilton County, FL Commission answered about the Suwannee River; the Lowndes County, GA Commission sat silently about the Withlacoochee River. Neither did anything, which is why WWALS filed a petition Friday to oppose FL-DEP’s proposed permit for Sabal Trail to drill under the Suwannee River; more on that later. You can help by calling Georgia Gov. Deal and commenting to GA-EDP and FERC. And by becoming a WWALS member today!

On July 21st, Chris Mericle spoke about the Suwannee River. LAKE Video, Hamilton County, FL Commission considers opposing FL-DEP Sabal Trail permit 2015-07-21,

Chris Mericle, Hamilton Co. FL Local resident Chris Mericle asked his county commission to once again oppose the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline, this time by opposing a permit Continue reading →

FL DEP boosting FL Gov. Scott’s pipeline investments –FloridaBulldog

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 →