You’re on your own if that pipeline company wants your property; the county government chooses to stay completely out of it, so said Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter at the 25 June Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

He read a prepared statement about a proposed natural gas pipeline. Why the county couldn’t put it on their website as a press release is mysterious. I’ve added the links:

Lowndes County has been contacted by representatives of McKenna, Long, Aldridge law firm of Atlanta regarding a proposed project expected to impact property owners of Lowndes County. Spectra Energy Company and its subsidiary, Sabal Trail Transmissions LLC anticipates construction of a 465 mile interstate natural gas pipeline from Anniston, Alabama extending through Georgia and coming through Lowndes County, terminating in Orlando, Florida.

This project is for the benefit of and is the responsibility of Florida Power and Light. Lowndes County has been notified as well as all the governmental entities impacted by this project and Lowndes County does not benefit from this proposal and has no responsibility for the approval other than that of a property owner potentially impacted by the proposed route as any other property owner in Lowndes County would be.

Then he ad libbed:

I just want to clarify that Lowndes County has no interest in the pipeline. If Lowndes County has any property that this pipeline will be coming through, we will be addressed as well as any private property owners as well. That question has come up and I hope that clarifies that.

Well, no, it doesn’t clarify why the county government is acting like a private business instead of like a local government. Sure if your the CEO of a company and your land isn’t affected, you have no responsibility for anybody else who is affected. But if you’re the Chairman of the county government, you do have responsibility, for example to determine whether the pipeline is beneficial to the county, has safety implications, or for that matter where it would go.

The county didn’t even provide a map of the route, and the one on Sabal Trail’s website is not linkable. Here’s one from the Suwannee Democrat:

Can you tell from that map if it is aimed at your property? Nope.

Here’s the video:

Lowndes County takes no responsibility for the pipeline –Bill Slaughter
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 25 June 2013.

-jsq

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