Tag Archives: quality

Sabal Trail to move pipeline off Withlacoochee River in Florida?

300x388 Withlacoochee Alternative 1 (East), in Response to FERC directive of 26 August 2014, by Sabal Trail Transmission, for SpectraBusters.org, 15 September 2014 Will Sabal Trail actually move off the Withlacoochee River in Florida? That depends on how you interpret which version of what Sabal Trail has said about its seven (7) different proposed fracked methane pipeline routes through Suwannee County, Florida. And all but one of the five proposed Georgia routes still would cross the Withlacoochee River in Lowndes County, Georgia. Beware that no matter what Sabal Trail says, FERC could pick any of these routes or some other. And no matter what FERC says, other agencies, including state and local, also have to approve permits and other evaluatios of any route, plus both Spectra Energy and Williams Company have recently “suspended” or cancelled pipelines as uneconomic. There is something you and your local elected bodies can do.

Amber Vann wrote for the Suwannee Democrat 19 September 2014, Gas pipeline concerns continue, Continue reading

FERC and Sabal Trail at the Withlacoochee River in Hamilton County, FL

Filed with FERC 16 September 2014 as Report of Christopher J Mericle , On site meeting with local property owners, FERC and Sabal Trail at the proposed Withlacoochee river crossing Hamilton Co. Florida under PF14-1. Chris and Deanna Mericle are our local hosts for the WWALS outing at that same affected location 10 AM this Sunday, September 21st 2014. -jsq

9-10-14

Local property owners met with FERC and Sabal Trail to voice concerns with the proposed Natural Gas pipeline route where it crosses the Withlacoochee River in Hamilton County, Florida. We had a great turnout of local support. Also in attendance, supporting our cause, was David Brown, Florida Certified Geologist, Jessica Norfleet, Constituent Advocate representing U.S. Congressman Ted Yoho, and Louie Goodin, Hamilton Co. Coordinator representing Hamilton Co. Board of Commissioners.

600x300 John Peconom (center) Talking with Deanna & Chris Mericle, David Brown, and FERC Geologist Tony (1 of 2), in FERC and Sabal Trail at the Withlacoochee River in Hamilton County, FL, by Chris Mericle, for WWALS.net, 16 September 2014 Attendees for FERC included John Peconom, Project manager, James Martin, Chief-Gas Branch3 and at least 4 other people.

Sabal had over 10 people attending from all areas of expertise including Andrea Glover, public relations, and Greg Jones, Geologist.

There was discussion of Continue reading

Letter to Lowndes County Commission about Sabal Trail

Here’s the cover letter I sent to the Lowndes County Commission about the action letter to county commissions, text of which was appended. They meet tonight at 5:30 PM. -jsq

From: “John S. Quarterman”
Date: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 21:07:54 -0400
cc: wwalswatershed@gmail.com
To: “Joyce E. Evans”, Richard Raines, Crawford Powell, Demarcus Marshall, Clay Griner
Subject: Resolutions other counties have passed against Spectra pipelines

Dear Lowndes County Commissioners,

With FERC’s recent instructions to Sabal Trail adding three more pipeline alternates that could go through Lowndes County, Lowndes has become even more of a key county regarding that pipeline. Please see the appended letter signed by many groups and individuals for resolutions and an ordinance that other counties have already passed.

Thanks,
John S. Quarterman, President, WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. Continue reading

FL State Rep. Elizabeth Porter objects to FERC about Sabal Trail pipeline in karst limestone

Chris Mericle’s Florida state rep., Elizabeth Porter, who also attended the recent GA EPD briefing to SRWMD about Valdosta’s plans to fix its wastewater overflowes into the Withlacoochee River, just objected to FERC about Sabal Trail’s fracked methane pipeline (PDF). Chris and Deanna Mericle are our local hosts for the WWALS Withlacoochee and Suwannee River paddle past the pipeline 21 September 2014.

FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Representative Elizabeth Porter
District 10
Elizabeth.Porter@myfloridahouse.gov

Continue reading

Cook County, GA ground water depletion –USGS

In USGS’s web page on Groundwater depletion:

The chart below shows monthly-mean water levels from 1964 to 2003 for a well in Cook County, sourthwest Georgia. The well is used for irrigation and public- supply purposes and offers a good visual representation of long-term groundwat er declines due to excessive pumping. [d]—data for the chart is available.

West-central Florida— Continue reading

Water and property rights should trump pipeline profits –WWALS op-ed in Gainesville Sun

Third newspaper and still counting, 28 August 2014, Gainesville Sun, John S. Quarterman: Water and property rights should trump pipeline profits.

The WWALS op-ed also appeared in the Moutrie Observer 1 August 2014 and the Ocala StarBanner 3 August 2014.

This comes after the 18 August 2014 OSFR v. FPL: head to head in the Gainesville Sun.

-jsq

DuPont withdraws permit application for Jesup mine –Riverkeepers and Greenlaw

Land use planning can make even a $60 billion market cap company think again about a mine in our sensitive karst limestone aquifer. details here. Greenlaw pictures here. -jsq

Press Release

For Immediate Release: August 27, 2014

Public Outcry Against Proposed Mine Continues to Grow, Mining Company Withdraws Permit Application

JESUP, GA-After hundreds of local residents, conservation groups, and elected officials expressed concerns Continue reading

Sabal Trail avoid sensitive karst regions –Hamilton County FL Commission to FERC

Last Friday a resolution to FERC saying the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline should avoid sensitive karst limeston regions affecting water resources passed the Hamilton County, Florida Commission.

Joyce Marie Taylor has added the following to her article in the Suwannee Democrat 25 August 2014, Hamilton fights back against Sabal Trail pipeline,

A special meeting was called on Friday, Aug. 22, and the board voted to pass Resolution 14-10 that expressed their concerns about the proposed pipeline route across the Withlacoochee River that forms the western boundary of Hamilton County.

A portion of the resolution states, Continue reading

Protect the Withlacoochee River from the Sabal Trail Pipeline –Chris Mericle at the Hamilton County Commission

Chris Mericle, local host for the September WWALS Outing, spoke to the Hamilton County Commission last Tuesday about the same section of the Withlacoochee River, where the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline is proposed to cross. You can come float past it yourself Sunday 21 September, and see many local springs, sinkholes and shoals that need to be protected from that pipeline, continuing on to where the pipeline would cross the Suwannee River.

Joyce Marie Taylor wrote for the Suwannee Democrat 25 August 2014, Hamilton fights back against Sabal Trail pipeline, Continue reading

LNG export proposed from Suwannee and St Johns River Watersheds

A fourth Florida LNG export operation seeks approval, this one explicitly wanting to use methane from the Sabal Trail Transmission fracked methane pipeline. It’s on the divide between our Suwannee River Basin and the St Johns River Basin, where Jaxport is proposing to ship out liquid natural gas from Jacksonville. St Johns Riverkeeper and Our Santa Fe River beware.

The Sabal Trail pipeline itself was already proposed to cross three rivers in the Suwannee Basin: Continue reading