Due to widespread opposition to Sabal Trail’s invading fracked methane pipeline,
the Corps extended its deadline 60 days, and FERC slipped a month.
Deadlines coming up this week and next.
This Friday, December 11, 2015:
Deadline to comment to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
The Corps wants comments on cumulative effects, including from local governments and other organizations, as well as individuals.
No Corps permit, no pipeline.
Suwannee County has waked up!
Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 7 December 2015,
Suwannee County seeks allies in pipeline fight,
County staff is writing a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Florida, requesting the pipeline not enter Suwannee County.
The commission will vote on whether to send the letters during its Dec. 15 meeting. Both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection have to issue permits for the venture.
Commissioner Larry Sessions proposed 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
All the Suwannee River Basin USGS gages in Georgia just got a new flood level reporting system (except they missed one).
They’ve added a level measurement from sea level,
probably not coincidentally about the same as the Florida gages
added a level measurement from dry riverbed,
so both Georgia and Florida gages now have both measurements.
This actually does not affect the WWALS level charts for the
Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail
nor for the
Alapaha River Water Trail,
because those continue to display water levels from dry riverbed.
To see this change at all, you have to drill down to the USGS detail pages,
for example on the Withlacoochee River
at Skipper Bridge Road in Georgia,
or
near Pinetta, Florida.
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Tallahassee, FL, unknown date, Suwannee River Basin Datum Changes in South Central Georgia,
Starting on October 14, 2015, the National Weather Service in Tallahassee and Jacksonville will make adjustments to the reporting method for water level in the Suwannee River System. This includes river gages in the following rivers or creeks: Continue reading
Suwannee County resident Debra Johnson tells us:
Suwannee County landowners vs Sabal Trail’s right to survey at Suwannee County courthouse Dec 7 at 3:30, Live Oak, FL. Landowners have lawyers.
A bit more information on Suwannee County Says “NO” To Toxic Waste 27 November 2015: 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
Update 2016-04-03: Extra Withlacoochee outing by popular demand.
Coming up soon!
See the WWALS calendar for any more events already scheduled.
All these outings are in Georgia. Which is a switch, since 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