Tag Archives: pipeline

WWALS in Albany, GA newspaper

Sabal Trail opposition aware across Georgia and Florida.

Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 13 September 2015, FERC Sabal Trail ruling comes amidst protest: Group holds fasting vigil outside federal agency’s offices,


Photo: TONY CASSADY, 31 May 2015, in Arkansas River pipeline blowout occurred on Sunday morning, cause still unknown, by Benjamin Hardy, Arkansas Blog, 3 June 2015

Meanwhile, in Florida an environmental group has filed a petition with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to stop development of the pipeline over concerns about the safety record of Spectra Energy, the Houston-based company that will build the pipeline. The group points to a May pipeline rupture under the Arkansas River that forced two miles of the river to be shut down after an estimated 3.9 million cubic feet of natural gas was released.

Nope, WWALS doesn’t want that Arkansas River rupture to be repeated under the Suwannee River in Florida, the Withlacoochee River in Georgia, or any other river. The reporter seems to have heard about WWALS via Continue reading →

GA-EPD plans to certify Sabal Trail within 30 days unless public comments; ditto USACE

People can request a hearing by the state of Georgia or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stop GA-EPD or the USACE from rubberstamping Southeast Market Pipelines Project Overview Sabal Trail’s use of wetlands within 30 days from Friday. USACE explicitly asks for public comments on “cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest”, unlike FL-DEP’s attempts to narrow the issue. Presumably this includes crossings of the Chattahoochee, Flint, Ochlockonee, and Withlacoochee Rivers in Georgia (and the Suwannee, Santa Fe, and Withlacoochee (south) Rivers in Florida and other rivers in Alabama), although this USACE Jacksonville office public notice about the Clean Waters Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act doesn’t specify. It was released Friday September 11th just like the one USACE Mobile District released that same day on Proposed Discharge of Sabal Trail Fill Material. Apparently you can ask for a public hearing by USACE in Alabama or Florida as well as in Georgia.

Here’s the Jacksonville USACE public notice: Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →