Escalating from the Chairman’s letter of 11 April 2014, perhaps after listening to requests from citizens, the Lowndes County Commission passed a resolution wanting no part of Sabal Trail in the county or in the state of Georgia.

Update 2014-11-25: Well, according to Joe Adgie in the Valdosta Daily Times today, “Even though the missive has already been mailed [to FERC], the resolution will not be formally voted on until the county commission’s next meeting in December [9th].”

Filed with FERC in docket CP15-17 on 21 November 2014 as Accession Number: 20141121-5242, but that was a Friday and FERC doesn’t work on weekends, so it actually appeared Monday 24 November 2014.

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas has proposed to build a $3.7 Billion, 460mile natural gas line known as Sabal Trail, and;

WHEREAS, The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners has concerns regarding personal property rights of citizens along with the limited use of rights-of-ways while maintaining the responsibility for taxes and liability where the Sabal Trail pipeline is proposed to be located, and;

WHEREAS, The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners does not oppose pipelines as the best way to move natural gas, oil or other products that may be needed for the continued economic stability of our nation, and;

WHEREAS, The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners has concerns for the safety of our citizens and our children at Clyattville Elementary School who will be located near the Sabal Trail pipeline, some which will be located within a potential blast zone in the event of a pipeline failure, and;

WHEREAS, The State of Georgia and Lowndes County has not been shown to benefit from the availability of natural gas from the Sabal Trail pipeline at this time, and;

WHEREAS, Sabal Trail originates in the State of Alabama and serves the State of Florida the question arises as to what benefit from the pipeline will the State of Georgia see and if none then why come thru the State of Georgia when it is obvious the small area affected in the State of Georgia can be easily avoided by bypassing the southwestern corner of the State of Georgia, and;

WHEREAS, The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners after several public meetings, discussions with property owners and the overall burden to the property owners of Lowndes County opposes locating the Sabal Trail pipeline in Lowndes County;

NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners opposes the construction of the Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County. The Lowndes County Commission has concerns with fundamental property rights and does not believe that citizens with small tracts should be forced to lose the use of large portions of their property for the Sabal Trail pipeline. The Lowndes County Commission does not see any long term benefit to the citizens of Lowndes County, The Lowndes County Commission formerly asks the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC), and our state and federal legislators to support us in this effort to have Lowndes County and The State of Georgia bypassed.

SO RESOLVED, this 18 day of November, 2014.
Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
Bill Slaughter, Chairman

Attest: Paige Dukes, County Clerk

Commissioners

-jsq

Short Link: