Tag Archives: WWALS

Water and property rights more important than methane pipeline profits

This is a long version of the op-ed sent to many newspapers in WWALS’ watersheds; there is also a short version. -jsq

Protesters drove as far as nine hours to Leesburg, GA July 10th, where Spectra Energy lost its eminent domain demand for its Sabal Trail 36-inch, hundred-foot right-of-way natural gas pipeline, and local landowners countersued. Spectra hobbled back to Houston, Texas bound by strict conditions for surveying that one Mitchell County property, and bound to haunt south Georgia again for a trespass jury trial.

The ensuing flurry of newspaper op-eds by Spectra’s Andrea Grover plus a page-long Sabal Trail interview in the Valdosta Daily Times (VDT), didn’t mention numerous Sabal Trail downsides. Continue reading →

Water and property rights over methane pipeline profits

This is an op-ed submission sent to many newspapers in WWALS’ watersheds and beyond. There is also a longer version. -jsq

Protesters drove up to nine hours to Leesburg, GA July 10th, where Spectra Energy lost an eminent domain demand for its Sabal Trail 36-inch, hundred-foot right-of-way natural gas pipeline, and local landowners countersued. Spectra hobbled back to Houston, Texas, bound by strict conditions for surveying that one property, and bound to haunt south Georgia again for a trespass jury trial.

Spectra bragged in op-eds about 50 public meetings, never mentioning overwhelming public opposition in Moultrie, Valdosta, Clyattville, Madison and elsewhere to that gash through our fields, forests, and wetlands, and under our Withlacoochee River twice.

Sabal Trail’s air quality permit application with Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division met immediate Continue reading →

Sabal Trail has applied for a Withlacoochee River water permit with Florida DEP

Sabal Trail is asking for permits for its fracked methane pipeline from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. One of them is for our Withlacoochee River.

ERP is Environmental Resource Permit, and here’s a permit found in ERP Exemption Permit applications, FL DEP Northeast Office: Continue reading →

EPA hearings Tuesday and Wednesday in Atlanta and Climate Rally by Sierra Club

Mercury in the Alapaha River probably comes from coal Plant Scherer near Macon. EPA is holding public hearings on its proposed Clean Power Plan next week, 29-30 July 2014, in Atlanta. You can also comment online until 16 October 2014 on Docket ID EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602. And you can express your opinion outside with Georgia Sierra Club at the Atlanta Climate Rally Tuesday at high noon. Maybe you want to mention shifting from coal to “natural” gas (fracked methane) actually may make matters worse here, so EPA needs to go further.

While that proposed carbon rule may help clean up coal plants like Scherer, it says nothing about methane, which EPA says is Continue reading →

Coal plant mercury in Alapaha River

Update 2015-04-28: See EPA 2002 report that spells out Plant Scherer as the largest mercury point source in the Alapaha Airshed.

Background to the EPA hearings on its proposed Clean Power Plan: EPA previously said nonpoint source pollution is the biggest water quality problem, and EPA and GA EPD say our Alapaha River is contaminated with mercury. That mercury comes from Plant Scherer, the country’s dirtiest coal plant.

The problem, effects, and cause are spelled out in these Comments on CAMR Draft, Language Options by Jill Johnson, Georgia Public Interest Research Group, April 6, 2006: Continue reading →

EPD Flint River Drought Protection Act Stakeholder Meeting

6PM Tonight at Albany State University, you can advise GA EPD about a bill that affects the Flint River and could easily affect WWALS rivers in the future.

peanut irrigation Advised by Flint Riverkeeper and Niall Herring, and found online at Nochaway Ag Update, EPD Flint River Drought Protection Act Stakeholder Meeting,

EPD Stakeholder Meeting

Watershed Protection Branch

Discussion of Possible Rule Changes

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) Watershed Protection Branch will hold a stakeholder meeting to discuss possible changes in the Flint River Drought Protection Act Rule. The meeting will be held on July 24, 2014 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the following location:

Albany State University
ACAD Building Auditorium
Continue reading →

WWALS gets grant from river network –VDT

Statewide organization recognizes WWALS Watershed Coalition, plus local direct and indirect economic benefits of an Alapaha Water Trail, wrote the reporter who called me yesterday about the WWALS PR. -jsq

Matthew Woody wrote for the Valdosta Daily Times yesterday, WWALS gets grant from river network,

The Willacoochee, Withlacoochee, Alapaha, and Little River Systems Watershed Coalition, Inc. (WWALS) received a $500 Alapaha Water Trail Grant from the Georgia River Network. John Quarterman, president of WWALS, said that making a water trail on the Alapaha River involves mapping out the river and putting out guide posts. The maps will show where boat ramps are along the river.

This grant goes beyond maps and guide posts; it signifies that a statewide organization recognizes South Georgia rivers.

“The grant for the Alapaha Water Trail is Continue reading →

WWALS receives Alapaha Water Trail grant from Georgia River Network

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WWALS receives Alapaha Water Trail grant from Georgia River Network

Adel, GA, July 21st 2014 — The statewide umbrella group Georgia River Network has awarded a grant to WWALS Watershed Coalition to help conserve the mostly-undiscovered recreational and economic gem of the Alapaha River by constructing an Alapaha Water Trail (ART). WWALS invites landowners, local governments, and the public to participate.

Brown’s Guide to Georgia describes the Alapaha as “jungle-like in its remoteness and luxurious with exotic vegetation, the dark reddish-brown waters of the Alapaha wind through a swampy wonderland teeming with wildlife.”

A Water Trail or blueway will help more people see this local gem, raising awareness to conserve it, more than outweighing the minimal disturbance of signs and boats. WWALS will draw on GRN’s extensive experience with Water Trails on other rivers in Georgia.

WWALS will center the initial blueway section Continue reading →

Alapahoochee Watershed Area Map by SGRC

The South Georgia Regional Commission (SGRC) produced this interesting map of the Alapahoochee River Watershed 300x225 Title, in Alapahoochee Watershed Area, by John S. Quarterman, for WWALS.net, 15 July 2014 I saw on the counter while visiting the USDA FSA office in Valdosta about something unrelated. Curiously, it doesn’t show the actual river nor its tributaries Mud Creek and Grand Bay Creek. But it does show that this watershed includes much of Valdosta, half of Dasher, and all of Lake Park. Continue reading →

WWALS Annual Meeting Wednesday July 9th

Once a year all WWALS members are invited to an annual meeting to hear what WWALS has done for the last year and to elect some of the board. The board then holds a meeting to elect its officers and to conduct its usual business. This year it’s at the IHOP in Adel, Georgia, 7:30 PM Wednesday 9 July 2014.

Facebook event.

Agenda for the Annual Meeting.

Agenda for the Board Meeting.

See you there!

-jsq