Tag Archives: sinkhole

Sabal Trail asks FERC to authorize turning on gas 2017-05-17

Sabal Trail has discovered the southeast has drought! That’s its excuse for not greening up its gouge across what it calls its “greenfield” route. Sabal Trail “will continue to be available” to address landowner concerns, as if they have addressed destroying Randy Dowdy’s world-record soybean fields. They claim they’ve resolved 271 of 279 landowner issues: as near as I can tell mostly by suing the landowners, like they did the Bell Brothers.

Revegetation and drought

Pipeline company chutzpah! Solar power would do this faster, cheaper, and cleaner: “Granting Sabal Trail’s request by May 26 will allow Sabal Trail to commence service promptly to FPL and will significantly increase the available supply of natural gas to the Southeastern United States during the heart of the peak summer cooling season.” More likely Sabal Trail wants to be in-service by the end of May to avoid forfeiting that $200 million bond required by FPL’s RFP.

Sabal Trail’s list of karst features doesn’t match its own Continue reading →

Sabal Trail signs at Suwannee River, 2017-05-20

Here are the signs Sabal Trail planted Friday at the Suwannee River.

WARNING, BURIED NATURAL GAS PIPELINE CROSSING, IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CALL 1-888-568-7269, Sabal Trail Transmission,

Updated 2017-05-23: Clarify what the google map is about.

See the Continue reading →

Suwannee County HDD, Sabal Trail, 2017-05-20

Sabal Trail has hidden the “depressions” they admitted to recently.

Evidence all buried at HDD site,

Updated 2017-05-23: Clarify what the google map is about.

See the Continue reading →

Sabal Trail sinkholes 2015 2017-05-05

Apparently that wet area I saw March 20, 2017 at Sabal Trail’s Suwannee River HDD access in Suwannee County was a “depression” they had just logged the previous day. Two more recent ones show up in Sabal Trail’s latest bi-weekly report, along with a couple of earlier ones they still haven’t even attempted to fix. Why should we expect these sinkholes will stop happening if Sabal Trail finishes and takes all their workers back to Houston, leaving us to deal with the damage?

Hay, berm, lights, workers 30.4061111, -83.1527778 I also wondered what they were up to a bit southeast of that drill site, beyond the dirt berm where I could only see their heads and hats. Apparently that was another sinkhole from January at the Suwannee River HDD in Suwannee County. Or maybe it was in Hamilton County in Suwannee River State Park; their description is so sloppy it’s hard to tell.

They also made a sinkhole a couple of thousand feet east of the Withlacoochee River in Hamilton County, and yet another sinkhole near the Santa Fe River HDD. The big winner is Continue reading →

What is Sabal Trail up to at Pilgrim’s Pride and Suwannee River? 2017-03-20

Following up on Cody Suggs’ pictures of pipeline dug up at Pilgrim’s Pride, I found a flock of glow-shirts inspecting a fancy new pipeline sign. Remember, where Sabal Trail goes through Pilgrim’s Pride property is right next to at least two large sinkholes and on top of the world-famous miles-long Falmouth Cathedral Cave System that feeds the Floridan Aquifer from which we all drink. They were also across US 90 and the railroad, and then at the Suwannee River HDD site in Suwannee County, Florida. Here are many pictures, a video playlist, and a Google Map.

Red and white trucks on US 90 at Pilgrims Pride 30.3726492, -83.1553016

Red and white trucks on US 90 at Pilgrims Pride

Continue reading →

On the Suwannee River, Sabal Trail drill path 2017-02-12

Pipe apparently not connected at Suwannee County HDD (only two caterpillars there, and many odd markings on pipe), Pipe not connected? 30.4063022, -83.1529089 pipe apparently already buried at Hamilton County HDD, paddling on the Suwannee River in between, and a guard at Sabal Trail’s CR 141 access even after dark, Sunday February 12, 2017 to show a visiting videographer. For where these pictures were taken, see the Google map.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

Continue reading →

Sabal Trail red pipe going into the ground in Hamilton County, FL 2017-01-14

Sabal Trail pipe going into the ground, 30.3841030, -83.1753430 The day of action against Sabal Trail at the Suwannee River saw hundreds turn out on land, water, and in the air and got a lot of press, but Sabal Trail continued to pound pipe into the ground in Hamilton County, Florida, going under Suwannee River State Park (SRSP) and the Suwannee River.

On the WWALS website are photographs by Beth Gammie for WWALS from a Southwings flight piloted by Roy Zimmer, navigated by Can Denizman, January 14, 2017. You may reuse these pictures provided you cite the source: Beth Gammie for WWALS Watershed Coalition.

For where they were taken, see the WWALS Google Map.

Lynn Buchanan posted a facebook video taken from the woods of Suwannee River State Park.

Panorama, Sabal Trail pipe going into ground, Hamilton County, 30.4113889, -83.1652778

Continue reading →

CR 141 Sabal Trail Troy Access, Hamilton County, FL 2017-01-14

Are those two sinkholes at Sabal Trail’s Troy Access off CR 141 in Hamilton County, Florida, on the way to to under the Suwannee River? Only three Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies was light law enforcement by Saturday’s protest day standards. What about those other sinkholes just outside the pipeline easement?

NE to CR 141 Sabal Trail entrance with 3 Hamilton Co. Sheriff, 30.4164450, -83.1765850

NE to CR 141 Sabal Trail entrance with 3 Hamilton Co. Sheriff,

SE to CR 141 Sabal Trail Troy Access, 30.4171760, -83.1768130

Continue reading →

Videos: Rivers against Sabal Trail in Live Oak —Suwannee RIVERKEEPER® 2017-01-12

Standing room only last night for two hours of how to oppose Sabal Trail and help the sun rise on Florida and the southeast, 7 PM, Thursday, January 12, 2017 at The Woman’s Club of Live Oak, called by Suwannee Riverkeeper.

Here are links to each of the videos, with a few notes, followed by a video playlist. Please share widely, and you can reuse any of these videos; just cite the source, WWALS Watershed Coalition. Continue reading →

Solar power versus Sabal Trail –Suwannee Riverkeeper in VDT 2017-01-08

Op-ed, Valdosta Daily Times, today, January 8th 2017:

John S. Quarterman, Suwannee Riverkeeper Sabal Trail and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection assured us there would be no problems drilling a 36-inch natural gas pipeline through the fragile karst limestone under the Suwannee River in Florida, yet already Sabal Trail’s pilot hole under the Withlacoochee River in Georgia caused a frac-out of drilling mud into the river and a sinkhole.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should halt construction and do a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

When I happened to fly over the Withlacoochee River frac-out, I also saw Continue reading →