Tag Archives: Law

Sabal Trail pipeline challenged by recommended order, plus Suwannee County resolution tonight

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sabal Trail pipeline challenged by recommended order, plus Suwannee County resolution tonight

Jasper, Florida, November 17, 2015 — The day after WWALS filed its Proposed Recommended Order (PRO) in WWALS v. Sabal Trail & FDEP saying FDEP didn’t do proper due diligence on what Sabal Trail’s application, especially for the Outstanding Florida Waters of the Suwannee River and the Santa Fe River, the Suwannee County Commission is considering tonight a resolution against Sabal Trail’s proposed Hildreth Compressor Station.

Suwannee County resident Debra Johnson remarked,

“How about nowhere in our county. It’s like who wants this dangerous compressor station in Suwannee County ANYWHERE?”

David Shields testified at the hearing in Jasper that he had purchased land in Suwannee County because: Continue reading →

WWALS files Proposed Recommended Order with DOAH 2015-11-16

DEP failed to sufficiently review or verify Sabal Trail’s application, failed to timely place comments from affected landowners in the public record, and disregarded heightened protection requirements of Florida Outstanding Waters. Sabal Trail admitted Spectra Energy is its operator in perpetuity, and that horizontal directional drilling could adversely affect water quality of the Suwannee River, yet DEP failed to adequately consider such effects. DEP professed to be unaware of other potential risks such as crossing existing pipelines, including the Southern Natural Gas pipeline. Springs, fragile karst geology, leaks, LiDAR, and geologic collapse: all insufficiently considered by DEP. Sinkholes, springs, and gopher tortoises pointed out by landowners never examined by Sabal Trail or DEP.

A Spectra Energy executive from Houston deigned to come to “the middle of nowhere” to tell us they’d use thinner pipe in low population areas such as Suwannee County. He testified at length about Spectra’s safety history, even Continue reading →

Come to the hearing, WWALS v. Sabal Trail & FL-DEP, Jasper, FL 2015-10-19

We aim to win through evidence and argument! If we can stop either the Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) or the Easement to Use Sovereign Submerged Lands (Easement) that the Florida Department of Environmental Resources (DEP) intends to issue for Sabal Trail, there may be no pipeline.

Witnesses can still come forward to testify for the Suwannee or other Rivers, the Florida Aquifer, or their own land, water, and air against Sabal Trail. WWALS invites the public to attend; This is a court of law, so please be polite, and silent while proceedings are in progress.

Here’s some background on the case. Below is Judge Canter’s order of this morning about place, date, and time (PDF): Continue reading →

GA-DNR should not give away easements to Sabal Trail –FrK, WWALS, GA Sierra Club

In addition, J. Mark Mobley, Jr. of Moultrie, Colquitt County, GA, is Vice Chair of the Land Committee that meets first. LTE If that Committee doesn’t recommend the Sabal Trail give-away, the full DNR board probably won’t vote on it. You can send the GA-DNR board members comments, or go to the meeting Wednesday morning 9AM in Atlanta. Meanwhile, this LTE (PDF) just went to the Albany Herald.

Jeff Sinyard represents southwest Georgia on the Board of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. He is our voice on that very important and powerful Board.

Sabal Trail Pipeline needs easements granted by the DNR Board to pass under key southwest and south-central Georgia rivers and creeks. Elsewhere in Georgia, over to the east and on the coast, Governor Deal’s DOT recently blocked the use of eminent domain for a gas and diesel pipeline. The Governor does not have the same power over natural gas pipelines under Georgia law. However, the Governor’s DNR Board does have the power Continue reading →

Pipeline dispute to judge for WWALS v Sabal Trail –CBS Miami

New news venues are covering WWALS v. Sabal Trail.

CBS Miami, 4 September 2015, Judge To Consider Florida Pipeline Permit Dispute,

A judge is set to consider an environmental group’s efforts to block construction of a pipeline mean to transport gas into Florida from Alabama.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protectionin July gave notice that it plans to issue a key permit for the Sabal Trail pipeline, which is planned, at least in part, to help deliver natural gas to power plants operated by Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy Florida.

A Georgia-based environmental group, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc., has fought the permit, pointing to potential impacts of the pipeline on North Florida waterways.

The group last month added an affiliated organization, WWALS Watershed Coalition Florida, Inc., to the case, though 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 →

WWALS to get hearing against Sabal Trail after all –Gainesville Sun

WWALS is about environmental issues such as those FL-DEP said could proceed. However, environmental issues extend far beyond FL-DEP’s narrow view. A pipeline sinkhole could affect springs or wells miles away, and that could affect property values, insurance rates, and of course eco-tourism. Tourism brings in $67 billion a year to Florida. Why would any Florida state agency want to risk that for a pipeline when the Sunshine State can go straight to solar power?

Christopher Curry, Gainesville Sun, 4 September 2015, Part of Sabal Trail challenge will proceed, Continue reading →

FL-DEP grants hearing to WWALS against Sabal Trail pipeline under Suwannee River

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FL-DEP grants hearing to WWALS against Sabal Trail pipeline under Suwannee River

September 4nd, 2015, Jasper, Florida — Yesterday the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FL-DEP) asked for an administrative law judge (ALJ) “to conduct all necessary proceedings required by law and to submit a recommended order to the Department”. Certifiate of Service FL-DEP apparently interprets its Order of the previous day as dismissing only the petition of WWALS-FL, a Florida nonprofit corporation, and not that of the parent corporation, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS). So it seems WWALS gets a hearing after all.

WWALS president John S. Quarterman remarked:

“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.”

And it seems FL-DEP is reading the news about this case, because Continue reading →

WWALS to get hearing with FL-DEP about Sabal Trail –Palm Beach Post

FL-DEP is reading the news about the WWALS petition, we know because DEP sent a copy of yesterday’s FL-DEP request for an administrative law judge directly to the Palm Beach Post. The Post had already published a story saying the WWALS petition had been dismissed, and changed it to say WWALS has been granted a hearing. (See also WWALS press release.)

Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 3 September 2015, Florida DEP says anti-pipeline group’s case to be heard,

A conservation group seeking to stop the proposed 465-mile Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline from boring under the iconic Suwannee River has now been granted its request for a hearing.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection said late Thursday Continue reading →

Hamilton County legislative delegation in Jasper 5:30 PM today 2015-09-03

Tonight Hamilton County, FL residents (or others) have an opportunity to express their concerns to their Florida statehouse delegation, for example about FL-DEP’s dismissal with prejudice and refusal to consider the real issues in WWALS’ amended petition against Sabal Trail drilling under the Suwannee River.

Bill Montford, FL Senate District 3 According to the Jasper News last week,

The Hamilton County Legislative Delegation consisting of Senator Bill Montford and Representative Elizabeth Porter will be holding a public hearing in Jasper on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 5:30 p.m. in the Hamilton County Courthouse, 207 Northeast First St., Jasper.

All residents and elected officials are invited to attend. This hearing will allow residents of Hamilton County the opportunity to meet their legislators, discuss concerns, ask questions and offer comments for the 2016 legislative session, which convenes Jan. 12.

Continue reading →