Paddling upstream was pretty easy, and downstream even easier,
on the Alapaha River from GA 135, Atkinson County side.
Here are a few pictures.
And in February, we paddle much farther, starting at GA 135 again, this time downstream all day to Berrien Beach, Saturday February 20, 2016.
-jsq
You can believe
what Spectra’s Andrea Grover said in the VDT today,
or you can believe more from
Sabal Trail’s own Karst Mitigation Plan,
which says they already lost drilling fluids from test drillings under the Withlacoochee River between Brooks and Lowndes Counties, and if they cause a sinkhole they can’t fill they’ll “monitor” it.
How will they do that if a sinkhole forms under the pipeline under the river, or it breaks or explodes, like a Spectra pipeline did in Little Rock, Arkansas in May of this year?
As filed in the FERC DEIS, Karst Mitigation Plan, in Section 7.3.2., on page 31 of 31:
- If drilling fluid loss downhole affects nearby springs or rivers and complete drilling fluid loss to the formation cannot be prevented, reaming operations will continue and the affected waterbody will be monitored in accordance with the Best Drilling Practices Plan for the Sabal Trail Project.
Not just for pilot holes: drilling fluid loss is quite possible during reaming for the actual pipe hole. And this drilling fluid can contain lubricants with unspecified ingredients.
Sabal Trail knows about fracture traces such as Continue reading
In which Spectra Energy’s Andrea Grover claims “The pipeline will not contaminate water or aquifers,”, despite Spectra’s own SEC 10-K and Sabal Trail’s own Karst Mitigation Plan.
Joe Adgie, Valdosta Daily Times, 5 November 2015,
Sabal makes Georgia Water Coalition’s Dirty Dozen,
The proposed Sabal Trail Pipeline made the Georgia Water Coalition’s Dirty Dozen list for the second consecutive year.
The proposed pipeline made the list for its path through sinkhole-prone regions in Georgia and Florida, including Lowndes County.
Here’s GWC Dirty Dozen 2015 #11: Sabal “Sinkhole” Trail.
John Quarterman, WWALS Watershed Coalition president, said there is some hope for opponents of the pipeline, in the form of a strong letter from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which will have the final say on construction of the pipeline.
“We got a federal agency actually doing its job, and I don’t mean FERC, I’m talking about the EPA,” Quarterman said. “They filed an amazing letter that validates pretty much everything the opposition’s been saying about this pipeline.”
Last week, the EPA recommended Continue reading
FERC requires state permits, including an air quality permit from GA-EPD: no permit, no pipeline. You can help stop Spectra Energy’s the Sabal “Sinkhole” Trail pipeline 6:30 PM tonight, 5 November 2015 at Albany Technical College, Kirkland Conference Center, 1704 S. Slappey Boulevard, Albany, GA 31701. There will be a press conference by the opposition about 5:45.
Gretchen Quarterman, WWALS Watershed Coalition and Gordon Rogers, Flint Riverkeeper, last night with the banner he had made for the occasion.
Here are Press release and other details.
You can oppose this unnecessary, destructive, and hazardous pipeline in many other ways, including supporting WWALS opposition to an FDEP permit to drill under the Suwannee River in Florida.
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You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
WWALS submitted Sabal Trail again this year,
with even more support throughout the state for sending that fracked methane invader back down its Sinkhole Trail to Houston, Texas.
Brad McEwan, Albany Herald, 4 November 2015, Proposed Sabal Trail pipeline makes water coalition Dirty Dozen: Georgia Water Coalition says Sabal Pipeline risky for SOWEGA,
According to the Dirty Dozen report the biggest concern voiced by the coalition, which is a consortium of 228 conservation and environmental organizations, hunting and fishing groups, businesses and faith-based organizations, is that the proposed pipeline could negatively impact the Withlacoochee, Flint, and Chattahoochee rivers, as well as smaller streams and creeks, along with the Florida aquifer, which is considered the region’s most important water source.
The GWC writeup mentions the very recent Continue reading
WWALS is a member of Floridians Against Fracking, which recommends today for Florida citizens to call their state legislator:
The pro-fracking regulatory bill is up in committee already! The Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee will hear House Bill 191l on Tuesday, 11/03/15, at 12:00 pm, in Reed Hall (102 House Office Building). We NEED to call them the day before the meeting so that they go in with our concerns on their mind.
Recall that these bills take away the opportunity for cities and counties to ban fracking locally. They are also contrived transparency—they are only supported by the oil and gas industry and their buddies. They fail to protect the citizens of Florida and our water and natural resources.
You can make calls to the legislators below to tell them to vote NO on House Bill 191: (Listed in order of priority for calls—if you hve time for one, call the top one, if you have time for 2, call the top two, etc.)
Chair- Tom Goodson [R], Capitol: (850) 717-5050, Email: tom.goodson@myfloridahouse.gov, Parts of Brevard and Orange
Jake Raburn Continue reading
Update 2016-01-17: Pictures by Gretchen Quarterman.
An easy downstream paddle on the lazy Little River, convenient to I-75.
Facebook: event
When: 10AM Saturday January 16, 2016
Where: GA 122 Little River, MILE 24.5, Five miles west of Hahira (I-75 exit 29), 3.4 miles east of Barney, south side of GA 122, east side of river, Lowndes County
Take out: Lawson Mill Pond Road, MILE 20.25, Five miles east of Morven on Lawson Mill Pond Road, Five miles west of Hahira (I-75 exit 29) on Morven Road, south side of Lawson Pond Road, west side of river, Brooks County
Distance: About 4 1/4 miles
Duration: About two and a half hours
Shuttle: Less than four miles each way, so less than 30 minutes
End time: Around 1PM
This outing is Free! But we encourage you to join WWALS today to support our fun outings and important work: /donations/. Continue reading
College students who like paddling on our rivers or art or both, here’s a contest! (flyer PDF)
Update 2015-12-16: Deadline extended to January 15th, 2016, recently featured in the Valdosta Daily Times, and winners to be presented with prizes at the February 27th Workshop at VSU.
Sponsored by WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS)
WWALS advocates for conservation and stewardship of the
Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, and Upper Suwannee River watersheds in south Georgia and north Florida
through awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities
Create a logo to represent the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail
Open to college students who live or study within the WithIacoochee and Little River Watershed
(Counties: Tilt, Berrien, Cook, Lanier, Lowndes, Colquitl, Brooks in Georgia and Hamilton, Madison and Suwannee in Florida.)
Deadline:
December 15, 2015 January 15, 2016 NO cost to enter
PRIZES:
1st Place $100 and use in publications and websites to promote the Water Trail.
Runner-Up $50
E-mail a pdf of your design and completed application information to: RiverLogoContest@gmail.com
Save image at Continue reading
Everyone from the Atlanta Journal-Constition to the Palm Beach Post to the
Ocala StarBanner
considers the EPA letter to FERC
to be of great significance.
WWALS agrees, and has filed a motion to ask the judge to take notice in WWALS v. Sabal Trail & DEP.
§ 373.414 Florida Statutes, begins:
(1) As part of an applicant’s demonstration that an activity regulated under this part will not be harmful to the water resources or will not be inconsistent with the overall objectives of the district, the governing board or the department shall require the applicant to provide reasonable assurance that state water quality standards applicable to waters as defined in s. 403.031(13) will not be violated and reasonable assurance that such activity in, on, or over surface waters or wetlands, as delineated in s. 373.421(1), is not contrary to the public interest. However, if such an activity significantly degrades or is within an Outstanding Florida Water, as provided by department rule, the applicant must provide reasonable assurance that the proposed activity will be clearly in the public interest.
Not just “not contrary to the public interest”. For an Outstanding Florida Water applicant (Sabal Trail) “must provide reasonable assurance that the proposed activity will be clearly in the public interest.” The Suwannee River is an Outstanding Florida Water. And the EPA letter is pretty good evidence that Sabal Trail did not provide such reasonable assurance.
Filed October 30, 2015 4:43 PM Division of Administrative Hearings (also PDF on WWALS website): Continue reading
Will the Suwannee County BOCC heed this call?
Editorial, Ocala StarBanner, 29 October 2015, A public watchdog when one’s needed
For more than two years opponents of the Sabal Pipeline have been denouncing the natural gas pipeline project as a threat to North Florida’s groundwater supply and sinkhole-prone geology, only to be waved off by state and federal regulators. It seemed those empowered to protect the people’s interests were not listening.
That is, until this week. At the 11th hour of the public comment [period, the U.S. Continue reading