Tag Archives: Suwannee River

No new Florida electricity needed, says FPL, so why Sabal Trail?

FPL admits Florida needs no new electricity, so why should Sabal Trail get eminent domain?

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Hahira, GA, September 6th 2016 — Two Georgia brothers are stuck with paying almost ten times as much in Sabal Trail’s legal fees as they spent defending their property against that invading fracked methane pipeline, even though FPL apparently admitted this year that all three of its 2013 excuses for that pipeline are no longer valid. Two federal agencies and numerous state agencies issued permits based on those excuses. Sabal Trail used those permits to get eminent domain, including to drill under rivers in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama and through the fragile limestone containing our drinking water in the Floridan Aquifer. It is time for this unnecessary, destructive, and hazardous boondoggle to be shut down and its $3 billion in FPL ratepayer money to be used for solar power in the Sunshine State.

James Bell, one of the brothers stuck with having to pay Sabal Trail attorney fees, says:

"First and foremost, this is a multi-billion dollar company that is for profit. In my personal opinion I don’t see how a private for-profit company should be allowed eminent domain. I don’t understand that. That makes no sense to me. I might could understand it if it was for the greater good of the country but this is not. And it is certainly not the federal government or the state government building some road or highway."

Florida Power & Light claimed Continue reading →

Roline Redoux is on for Monday on the Suwannee River 2016-09-05

“We’re on for Monday morning! River excellent condition,” Roline Launch says expedition leader Phil Hubbard, reporting from the Suwannee River just now. “Maybe 2 feet higher. Flow is perfect,” he added.

Earlier he said helpfully, “I’m stopping at Hardee’s in Jasper to grab a biscuit around 9:15 if anyone needs help finding the launch site.”

About an essential outing ingredient, Gretchen Quarterman says: “I just baked bon-bons!”

For outing details, see the original post, Redoux Suwannee River Roline to Cypress Creek.

-jsq

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Continue reading →

Delay Roline Redoux as Suwannee River rises after Hurricane Hermine 2016-09-05

Update 2016-09-04: “We’re on for Monday morning! River excellent condition,” says expedition leader Phil Hubbard.

With water still coming downstream from Hurricane Hermine and storms following, USGS WSPF1 at White Springs expedition leader Phil Hubbard says:

I’m thinking looking at the weather forecast, the only safe call we can make today is to delay till Monday pend river level. The rain probability is actually higher on Sunday but looks good for Monday.

So we’re rescheduling Redoux Roline for 10 AM Monday morning September 5th 2016, still at Roline.

At lest now now we know the Suwannee River won’t be too low!

Hoping to see you there. Details are still in the first blog post.

-jsq

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

Continue reading →

Tropical Storm Hermine and Roline Redoux 2016-09-03

It looks like Hermine will have moved along east by Saturday, or at least by Sunday, which is the fallback date for the WWALS paddle outing this weekend from Redoux Suwannee River Roline to Cypress Creek. We won’t be able to tell for a day or so what the situation will be, but so far we’re still planning on Saturday morning. Expedition leader Phil Hubbard will make a determination before then.

-jsq

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

WWALS Outings, Rivers, and Pipeline on Chris Beckham drive-time radio WVGA 105.9 FM 8:00 7:30 AM 2016-09-02

8AM Friday morning WWALS will be on Chris Beckham’s drive-time radio show. WWALS president John S. Quarterman will be talking about Saturday morning’s Suwannee River paddle outing and other outings upcoming on the Alapaha and Withlacoochee Rivers, along with other developments on the Alapaha River Water Trail and the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail, along with many other things WWALS does. Plus what you can do about the FERC rubberstamp of the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline drilling under the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers.

When: 8:00 7:30AM Friday September 2nd 2016

Where: Continue reading →

Anhinga Trek on the Georgia Southern Rivers Birding Trail

Sites in WWALS watersheds include Paradise Public Fishing Area (PFA) at the headwaters of our Withlacoochee River, Reed Bingham State Park on our Little River, Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area (WMA) upstream from our Alapaha River, and Stephen C. Foster State Park at the headwaters of our Suwannee River in the Okefenokee Swamp, all on the Anhinga Trek of the Southern Rivers Birding Trail.

You can buy a license for any of these parks or WMAs from the state, and you can also see anhingas and other fascinating wildlife on our water trails.

Or come along on upcoming WWALS outings: Continue reading →

FERC Authorization for Sabal Trail to Commence Drilling under Georgia Rivers 2016-08-25

Update 2016-10-10: Going beyond the ones named in FERC’s commence order, this blog post includes maps for ALL RIVER CROSSINGS IN ALL THREE STATES!

Update 2016-10-10: All 527 of Sabal Trail’s April 2016 alignment maps are now available in small, big, huge, and PDF formats, courtesy of Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE): follow this link to the LAKE website.

Nevermind that historic 128 to 34 Georgia House vote against river-drilling easements. Chattahoochee River HDD, Russell Co. AL, Stewart Co., GA The Georgia Attorney General’s office declined to defend lawsuits in county Superior Courts (including Lowndes County, GA), and judges gave Sabal Trail the easements. Then the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued its permit. So Thursday John Peconom of FERC told Sabal Trail to start drilling under Georgia’s Chattahoochee, Flint, Ochlockonee, and Withlacoochee Rivers, as well as Hannahatchee Creek. They avoided Okapilco Creek by Continue reading →

Redoux Suwannee River Roline to Cypress Creek, 2016-09-03

Update 2016-09-04: “We’re on for Monday morning! River excellent condition,” says expedition leader Phil Hubbard.

Update 2016-09-02: Delayed until 10AM Monday 5th September due to aftereffects of Hurricane Hermine.

Update 2016-09-01: Watching Tropical Storm Hermine.

More people want to go after the pictures and reports from a few weeks ago, so WWALS has scheduled a redo from Roline to Cypress Creek on the iconic Suwannee River in north Florida. Also with a slightly later start this time; more convenient for far-away folks.

When: 10AM Saturday September 3rd 2016

Put in: Roline Launch, 30°33’51.0″N 82°43’30.6″W or 30.564185, -82.725167

Duration: 7.5 miles, about 4 hours.

Events: facebook, meetup.

Directions: Continue reading →

Sierra Club protest at Lake City today 2016-08-18

Sierra Club Campaign Organizer Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson has taken the Lake City pipe yard ball and run with it. Monday she got TV coverage at that illicit Sabal Trail storage yard for 36-inch fracked gas pipe, and today she’s called a press conference and protest there. Plus Sierra Club has filed two legal actions. Here’s how you can help.

Haley Wade, WCJB-TV, Gainesville, Florida, 15 August 2016, New pipeline has protestors,

There is something you can do: you can say no.

The sun is shining.

Continue reading →

USACE refuses Madison County’s request for a Sabal Trail SEIS 2016-07-29

They didn’t even bother to fill in the year on the date, and “File with original letter”. Here’s what the Corps wrote (PDF) in response to Madison County’s request for a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) about Sabal Trail.

File with
original letter

DEPARTMENT or THE ARMY
JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT CORPS 0F ENGINEERS
POST OFFICE BOX 4970
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA 32232-0019

July 29, 201

USACE Response to Madison County re Sabal Trail Reply to attention of
Regulatory Division
North Permits Branch
Jacksonville Permits Section
SAJ-2013-03030

Madison Board of County Commissioners
Attn: Mr. Brian Kauffman, County Coordinator
Post Office Box 539
Madison, Florida 32341

Dear Mr. Kauffman:

Please accept this correspondence as Continue reading →