Tag Archives: fracking

Douglas again for Suwannee-Satilla Regional Water Planning Council 2015-07-1520

From Leigh Askew Elkins of UGA via GRN, same city as last month, different venue:

The Suwannee — Satilla Regional Water Council will convene on Monday, July 20, 2015 at 10:00am in the meeting room in Aniston’s Restaurant, 1404 W. Baker Highway, Douglas, GA. Registration will begin at 9:30am. Among other things, the Council will affirm its plans for enhancing inter-council planning and for engaging key implementing actors. The Council will also discuss its recommendations for plan revisions.

Seems like it’s time for them to say something about the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline, and about the shale basin under our Floridan Aquifer. Maybe WWALS will send something to them about that.

-jsq

WWALS signs on to Global Frackdown

Ban fracking before it spreads, and ban it quickly enough to stop new pipelines! WWALS signed the Global Frackdown organized by Food and Water Watch:

Fracking threatens the air we breathe, the water we drink, the communities we love and the climate on which we depend.

The specific message WWALS added when signing 29 June 2015 was:

Fracking is driving a company from Houston, Texas to try to gouge a pipeline across our fragile watersheds and drinking water aquifer. Georgia is already the fastest-growing U.S. market for solar power, and just passed a solar financing law that will make it grow even faster. Meanwhile, a shale gas basin has been discovered under south Georgia and north Florida. Ban fracking before it spreads, and ban it quickly enough to stop new pipelines!

Remember, WWALS supports a fracking ban in Floirida, and Continue reading →

Florida pro-fracking bill failed


Photo: Jeff Burlew, via Tallahassee Democrat.

Thanks to Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson of Our Santa Fe River (pictured in blue shirts on left) and many others, a pro-fracking anti-open-records bill failed in the Florida legislature yesterday. WWALS helped persuade both its Florida counties, Madison and Hamilton, to pass anti-fracking resolutions, like so many other Florida counties did as OSFR tirelessly travelled the state. Bills in the Florida House and Senate to ban fracking outright did not pass. But neither did the fracking industry’s bill that would have exempt it from disclosure of its toxic chemicals, and would have prohibited local governments from banning fracking. No doubt the fossil fuel industry will be back next year with a Florida pro-fracking bill, but so will the opponents, with bills to ban fracking. And in another year, maybe Florida will catch on that when the Georgia legislature unanimously approved a solar financing bill, it’s time for the Sunshine State to put fracking behind it and get on with clean, safe, renewable sun, wind, and water power.

Orlando Sentinel, 29 April 2015, Florida fracking bill won’t pass this year, Continue reading →

Hamilton and Madison: both WWALS Florida Counties passed anti-fracking resolutions

We’ve already seen Hamilton County’s RESOLUTION 2015-02 of 3 March 2015. Madison County followed 11 March 2015, as reported by Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson for Our Santa Fe River, The Commissioners of Madison County—THEY ROCK!!

This morning the Commissioners of Madison County concluded their business by unanimously signing a resolution to ban fracking and to support the bills in Tallahassee which do that. County Attorney Tommy Reeves was johnny-on-the-spot ready with the resolution so there was no delay there.

Continue reading →

Don’t risk river for foreign oil sales –Clay Montague

Yes, it seems like robbery, and no, we don’t have to tolerate any of this.

Satilla Riverkeeper’s board member Clay Montague wrote in the Camden County Tribune & Georgian 26 March 2015, Don’t risk river for foreign oil sales,

Dear Editor,

A fuel pipeline across the Satilla River is a danger to our county. Imagine a broken pipe spilling fuel into the Satilla for just one day.

Kinder Morgan’s proposed pipeline would transport 167,000 barrels per day of refined petroleum products to Jacksonville, Fla. It will likely cross the Satilla about a mile downstream of Burnt Fort. The river is tidal there. Any spill will quickly head both directions, spreading fuel into swamps and marshes, killing fish and trees, and reach the beaches of Cumberland and Jekyll.

How much is 167,000 barrels? Continue reading →

Hamilton County resolution to ban fracking in Florida

Chris Mericle reported yesterday:

The Hamilton Co. BOCC voted today to pass Resolution 2015-2, a resolution to support SB-166 and HB-169 to ban Fracking in the State of Florida.

For background, see previous post. Here is the text of the resolution:

RESOLUTION 2015-02

300x400 WHEREAS, in Resolution to ban fracking in Florida, by Hamilton County BOCC, for WWALS.net, 3 March 2015 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF HAMILTON COUNTY, FLORIDA, SUPPORTING PROPOSED LEGISLATION (SB 166 and HB 169) PROVIDING A STATEWIDE BAN ON HYDRAULIC FRACTURING, ACID FRACTURING, AND WELL STIMULATION PERFORMED FOR THE PURPOSES OF EXPLORATION OR PRODUCTION OF OIL OR NATURAL GAS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

WHEREAS, well stimulation treatments may involve the use of hundreds of chemicals, some of which are known to be carcinogenic or could otherwise be harmful to human health; and Continue reading →

Anti-fracking on the agenda Tuesday in Hamilton County, Florida

Chris Mericle reports an anti-fracking resolution is on the agenda for the the Hamilton County, Florida Board of Commissioners Tuesday 3 March 2015.

The agenda for the March 3rd Hamilton Co BOCC meeting is published in the Jasper News this week. Listed Item #6 reads:

RESOLUTION — SUPPORTING SB-166/HB-169-BILLS IN OPPOSITION TO FRACKING IN FLORIDA

The meeting starts at 9am, Room 112, Courthouse, 207 Northeast First Street, Jasper, FL 32052.

It is unclear whether Continue reading →

No fracking in Hamilton County, Florida?

Chris Mericle reports from last night’s (17 Feb 2015) meeting:

Tonight at the Hamilton Co. BOCC meeting the chairman, Josh Smith, directed the county attorney to get copies of the Senate and House bills to ban Fracking in FL to supply to the board at the next meeting. Josh also asked the board to consider a resolution of support of those bills just as Alachua, Union and Miami-Dade Counties have done. This should be on the agenda for the next scheduled meeting.

-Chris Mericle

For those bills, see this WWALS blog post. For ongoing updates on Florida anti-fracking resolutions and laws, see the fracking category on Our Santa Fe River, which also leads you to reports on the Alachua County and Union County resolutions. And if you’re near Tallahassee today, there’s the noon rally on the steps of the old Capitol.

-jsq

WWALS supports Florida fracking ban

WWALS supports the proposed ban on fracking in Florida, by unanimous vote of the WWALS Executive Committee last night. For our Floridan Aquifer, our springs, and our rivers that run into the Suwannee to the sea. The Sunshine State can do what WWALS has helped Georgia do: turn to solar power for new energy.

Here’s some background on the bills in the Florida Senate and House and a petition you can sign. Plus you can help pass fracking bans by Florida counties, and there’s a rally at the old capitol in Tallahassee next Wednesday.

This ban would also contribute to WWALS long-standing opposition to the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline by opposing the fracking that drives new pipelines and LNG export. New York State already banned fracking, as have the entire countries of France, Bulgaria, Germany, and Scotland. Florida can be next.

Florida Senate

Continue reading →

Anti-fracking ordinance on agenda, Columbia County, FL 2015-01-15

We all drink out of the same Floridan Aquifer, and the Santa Fe River, like WWALS’ Withlacoochee River, is a tributary of the Suwannee River. Fracking in north Florida could affect our drinking water, and if it were allowed there, next frackers would try to cross the state line, just like the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline already is. So everyone who can, please support OSFR. -jsq

Our Santa Fe River Action Alert 31 December 2014, Important Meeting, Please Attend, County Commissioners, Lake City On Jan. 15, 2015,

OSFR as an organization will be on the agenda of the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners at the Jan. 15 meeting, requesting that the commission enact an ordinance which bans all forms of fracking in Columbia County.

Please plan to attend this important meeting, either Continue reading →