Tag Archives: John S. Quarterman

Proposed Discharge of Sabal Trail Fill Material –U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Late on a Friday, in a USACE public notice:

Sabal Trail Project Overview The USACE has not verified the adequacy of the applicant’s avoidance and minimization statement at this time….

The USACE has not verified the adequacy of the applicant’s proposed off-site mitigation plan at this time.

After how many years has this Sabal Trail project been going on? And still no verification?

PUBLIC HEARING REQUESTS: Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice, that a public hearing be held to consider this application. Requests for public hearings shall state with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing.

How about as a reason somebody needs to examine Sabal Trail’s mitigation plans?

This Friday USACE release frequently mentions 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 →

Environment more important for economy than pipeline –Marihelen Wheeler

Marihelen Wheeler, Gainesville Sun, 9 September 2015, Stop the pipeline,

We must continue to resist the efforts of the Texas-based company, Spectra, to build the Sabal Trail pipeline through Alachua, Gilchrist, Suwannee, Levy and Marion counties.

The proposed pipeline will carry natural gas through a 36-inch pipe over 515 miles to serve Continue reading →

WWALS at Valdosta-Lowndes Tourism Authority 2015-09-22

WWALS will present its activities at the Tourism Authority for the most populous city and county in WWALS’ watersheds.

When: 8AM Tuesday September 22nd 2015

Where: Gazebo 2 room
James H. Rainwater Conference Center
1 Meeting Place
Valdosta, GA 31601

Host: Valdosta – Lowndes County Conference Center & Tourism Authority

Who: WWALS President John S. Quarterman will speak

What: He will give the Tourism Authority Board a brief summary of what’s transpired in the WWALS world in the way of positive developments since November with this non-profit entity in its work that also benefits quality of life and tourism, including: 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 →

Judge assigned for WWALS v. Sabal Trail and FL-DEP

Here’s the letter DOAH sent Friday 4 September 2015 that we received on paper yesterday. Fortunately, it’s also online along with the rest of Case No: 15-004975. It’s been assigned Judge Bram D. E. Canter.

STATE OF FLORIDA
DIVISION OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS

 
 
 
Case No. 15-4975
15-0468

 
WWALS WATERSHED COALITION, INC.,

      Petitioner,

vs.

SABAL TRAIL TRANSMISSION. LLC AND
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,

      Respondent.
/

INITIAL ORDER

Initial Order
  1. Any document filed with DOAH by a party represented by an attorney shall be filed by electronic means through eALJ located at www.doah.state.fl.us. Parties not represented by an attorney may file by electronic means through eALJ. Any document filed through eALJ shall include the filing party’s e-mail address and be served upon all other parties. All pleadings and motions must contain the DOAH style and case number.
  2. THE AGENCY OR, WHERE THE AGENCY IS NOT A PARTY, THE PETITIONER SHALL COORDINATE WITH ALL PARTIES AND PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WITHIN SEVEN DAYS Continue reading →

Hazardous Site Inventory –GA-EPD

Press Release, 28 August 2015, Public Advisory: Georgia EPD Issues 2015 Hazardous Site Inventory with Interactive Map,

Hazardous-sites The Hazardous Site Inventory (HSI) is a list of sites in Georgia where there has been a known or suspected release of a regulated substance above a reportable quantity and which have yet to show they meet state clean-up standards. The HSI is published annually by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. The new interactive Map uses the familiar Google Maps interface and includes basic information about each site as well as links to individual Site Summary pages. More information about the HSI, including the Google Maps feature, is available at: http://epd.georgia.gov/hazardous-site-inventory.

Follow that link and you’ll find an interactive map plus an introduction and lists by name, county, site number, and class.

Not all the hazardous sites shown above are in WWALS territory. For comparison, Continue reading →

A hearing for WWALS v Sabal Trail after all –WCTV

The hearing will be about the Suwannee River in Florida, and the same pipeline wants to cross the Withlacoochee River in Georgia (and the Ochlockonee, Flint, and Chattahoochee in Georgia, and the Santa Fe and the other Withlacoochee River in Florida).

Winnie Wright, WCTV, 4 September 2015, WWALS Receives Hearing on Sabal Trail Pipeline,

JASPER, Fla. — The WWALS will receive a hearing regarding the Sabal Trail Pipeline, according to the group.

“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,” said 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 →

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 →