Tag Archives: Florida

Florida Springs Restoration Summit 2016-09-30 thru 2016-10-02

In two days in Ocala, FL learn how to make meaningful springs restoration a reality in a series of plenary sessions about current springs science and management and that delve into the agency, advocacy, legal, media, and legislative remedies that can generate meaningful springs restoration and long-term protection.

When: Sept. 30th thru Oct. 2nd 2016

Where: Harvey R. Klein Conference Center
3001 Southwest College Road
Ocala, FL 34474

Who: Organized by the Florida Springs Council, of which WWALS is a member

Sierra Club protest at Lake City today 2016-08-18

Sierra Club Campaign Organizer Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson has taken the Lake City pipe yard ball and run with it. Monday she got TV coverage at that illicit Sabal Trail storage yard for 36-inch fracked gas pipe, and today she’s called a press conference and protest there. Plus Sierra Club has filed two legal actions. Here’s how you can help.

Haley Wade, WCJB-TV, Gainesville, Florida, 15 August 2016, New pipeline has protestors,

There is something you can do: you can say no.

Continue reading →

Federal permits inflame opposition to Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline boondoggle WWALS PR 2016-08-16

PDF FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hahira, Georgia, August 16th 2016 — There is no excuse for $3 billion down this rathole of a 20th century dying fossil fuel industry now that there are more solar power jobs than in all of oil and gas extraction. One federal permit Friday and another federal go-ahead impending for the Sabal Trail invasion of private property and wetlands in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama stiffens the resolve of the rapidly expanding opposition. WWALS Watershed Coalition (WWALS) has revealed apparent wetlands violations and federal rule violations by Spectra Energy, the Houston, Texas pipeline company that wants to gouge under our Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers, risking our water supply for its profit. Sierra Club has vowed to use “all legal means necessary to stop this fracked gas pipeline.” Opposition across Georgia continues as dozens of new groups joined the fight a week ago in Gainesville, Florida. News Friday of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) wetlands permit has inflamed opposition across the country to this latest fossil fuel land and water grab.

Last month WWALS reported to USACE and to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that Sabal Trail already has Continue reading →

USACE refuses Madison County’s request for a Sabal Trail SEIS 2016-07-29

They didn’t even bother to fill in the year on the date, and “File with original letter”. Here’s what the Corps wrote (PDF) in response to Madison County’s request for a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) about Sabal Trail.

File with
original letter

DEPARTMENT or THE ARMY
JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT CORPS 0F ENGINEERS
POST OFFICE BOX 4970
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32232-0019
July 29, 201
Reply to attention of
Regulatory Division
North Permits Branch
Jacksonville Permits Section
SAJ-2013-03030
Madison Board of County Commissioners
Attn: Mr. Brian Kauffman, County Coordinator
Post Office Box 539
Madison, Florida 32341
Dear Mr. Kauffman:
Please accept this correspondence as Continue reading →

Madison County, FL asks USACE for a SEIS 2016-07-18

This request for a Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), mentioning Madison Blue Spring in particular, was sent July 18th or 19th 2016, one copy to each of the Corps addresses. (PDF). That’s the fourth Florida county to make such a request, after Hamilton, Suwanee, and Marion Counties. The Corps already responded to Madison County.

Board of County Commissioners
Madison County, Florida

Jacksonville Permits Section
U.S.A.C.E. Regulatory Division
Attn: Mark R. Evans,
Senior Project Manager,
Post Office Box 4970
Jacksonville, Florida 32232

Commander, U.S.A.C.E.,
Savannah District
Attn: Mr. Terry C. Kobs
1104 N. Westover Boulevard, Unit 9
Albany, GA 31707
U.S.A.C.E.
Mobile District Reg. Div.
Montgomery Field Office
Attn: Mr. James S. Cherry II
605 Maple Street
Building 1429 Room 105
Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6017

Norman C. Bay, Chairman Continue reading →

State line to Sullivan Launch, Withlacoochee River 2016-10-09

Sunday morning on the tea-colored Withlacoochee River in north Florida in fall: come join us!

When: 10AM Sunday October 9th 2016

Put in: Madison Highway on the Georgia side, also known as GA 31 Ramp (SRWMD) or State Line Ramp (GA DNR) or CR 145 Bridge Launch (FDEP). 30.635933, -83.311103

Directions: Continue reading →

Lake City Sabal Trail pipe yard in cleared wetlands

Update 2016-08-10: Videos of all the speakers.

You are invited to come ask SRWMD why it hasn’t responded to WWALS’ request about the unregistered Sabal Trail Lake City apparently on fill in wetlands. You can speak in person Tuesday morning, or write them a letter saying how Sabal Trail would affect you, no matter where you are elsewhere on the pipeline path, in the Floridan Aquifer, or for other reasons.

When: 9AM Tuesday August 9th 2016

Where: SRWMD District Headquarters,
9225 CR 49, Live Oak, FL 32060

Or write to: Noah Valenstein, Executive Director, SRWMD, NDV@srwmd.org.

Update 2016-08-07: You may also send a letter to all Board members of the SRWMD by writing to their senior Board assistant:
~~Lisa Cheshire, LMC@srwmd.org~~
Robin Lamm, Coordinator, rrl@srwmd.org

In the subject header ~~to Lisa~~ include the following info:
SRWMD Board Members:

Then cc here, too:
Noah Valenstein, NDV@srwmd.org

Sabal Trail is not on the agenda, but people can speak in Continue reading →

Agenda and registration for Gainesville meeting against Sabal Trail 2016-08-06

This Saturday in Gainesville, Florida, organized by Gulf Restoration Network, the opposition to Sabal Trail and all its ugly stepsisters expands even more.

WWALS board member Chris Mericle is an introductory speaker, and WWALS member Cecile Scofield will speak about LNG export and rail projects, along with many new speakers from Florida and beyond.

When: 8:30 AM to 5PM Saturday August 6th 2016

Where: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville
4225 NW 34th St,
Gainesville, FL 32605

Facebook: event

Agenda: Continue reading →

Florida Congress members ask EPA to stop ERC toxic water level hikes

One Senator and eight representatives want the EPA to fix what ERC broke last Tuesday. Two of them are running against each other for Senate yet they signed this letter together: that’s how serious this situation is. Here’s PDF and the text is below.

Congress of the United States
Washington, DC 20510

July 26, 2016
The Honorable Gina McCarthy
Administrator
US. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Administrator McCarthy,
We’re writing to alert you to our serious concerns with a problematic public health proposal in Florida that will soon be sent to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval.
Continue reading →

Confirmation of unregistered Sabal Trail Lake City Pipe Yard 2016-07-29

Caught red-handed with an unregistered pipe yard north of Lake City, Florida, Sabal Trail tried today to make excuses to FERC. Here’s the response WWALS filed with FERC today, 29 July 2016, as Accession Number 20160729-5198, “Evidence of unregistered Sabal Trail Lake City Pipe Yard and Request of WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. for rescinsion of FERC approval of pre-construction activities under CP15-17-000.” (PDF)

-jsq

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