Don’t let Sabal Trail get eminent domain judgment in Leesburg they could claim applies in Lowndes County

Sabal Trail is already sending “final request” eminent domain threatening letters to Lowndes County landowners saying it is “imperative” for that invading company from Houston, Texas to survey local land for its fracked methane 36-inch pipeline in a hundred-foot right of way. Tomorrow morning at 11:30 AM in Leesburg, Georgia, Sabal Trail demands a judge provide a summary judgment for eminent domain surveying against some Mitchell County landowners. If they get that judgment, they will very likely claim it applies to Lowndes County landowners. There’s still time to write a letter to the Clerk of Superior Court in Leesburg against such a judgment. And you can come to Leesburg yourself to protest.

An eminent domain survey “final request” Sabal Trail sent a Lowndes County landowner this month cited O.C.G.A. 22-3-88, which is the same Georgia law Lowndes County Attorney Bill Langdale noted does not apply because Sabal Trail does not provide gas to Georgia. When Sabal Trail claimed in its filing for the formal FERC permitting process in November that the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia is one of its customers and that the counties needing the gas the most are Dougherty and Colquitt. Both counties had already passed resolutions against Sabal Trail, as had Dougherty County’s seat, Albany.

The Mayor of Moultrie, Colquitt County’s seat, said on WCTV that nobody asked Moultrie if they needed any gas. The Valdosta Daily Times ran a long series of articles about Sabal Trail’s claims they never sent any eminent domain letters until confronted with the Langdale letter and others.

The City of Albany and Brooks County also filed legal motions with FERC to intervene against Sabal Trail.

Despite the purported MGAG customers wanting no part of Sabal Trail, it’s very likely Sabal Trail will use this spurious MGAG deal in a hearing in Leesburg, Georgia 11:30 AM Tuesday March 24th demanding an eminent domain surveying summary judgment against some Georgia landowners. If the pipeline company gets that judgement, who doubts they will attempt to use it against landowners everywhere in Georgia?

Here’s who you can write to today against such a judgement:

Correction 13:15 23 March 2015: She needs the original, which means any correspondance will need to be overnighted or hand-carried to get there before the 11:30 AM hearing time tomorrow.

Re: Case number 14CV208RS
Judge Rucker Smith
To: Cindy Clark
Civil Deputy Clerk
County Courthouse
100 Leslie Highway
Leesburg, Georgia 31763

And you can come to Leesburg yourself, like fourteen protesters did last time.

Lowndes County and the City of Valdosta also passed excellent resolutions against Sabal Trail. Here is an easy way they can work towards stopping the Sabal Trail pipeline: send their own ordinances to the Clerk of Superior Court in Leesburg.

-jsq