Category Archives: Natural gas

Videos: Valdosta FERC Scoping Meeting @ FERC 2014-03-04

Here are videos of the whole thing.

Update 2014-03-08: Fixed date.

See also:

  • FERC holds meeting to discuss Sabal Trail pipeline by Colter Anstaett, WALB

    “I just lost a contract on the sale of part of my property because of this pipeline,” said Larry Rodgers, a Lowndes County landowner.

    “Why is it set in stone that you pay one price forever for the value of the property they use when they’re gonna be makin’ profits on it forever…the landowner has to continue to pay property taxes. So, I don’t understand why they can’t share the profits,” continued Rodgers….

    One concerned landowner, Rick Hastings, questioned whether any information that the third party collected and presented Continue reading →

All against, except County Commissioners @ FERC 2014-03-04

At FERC’s Scoping Meeting for Spectra’s proposed Sabal Trail methane pipeline, about 100 people, not counting FERC or Spectra. Lots of good questions. Not many answers. John Peconom of FERC said afterwards the comments were mostly about the big picture. Except questions from local government officials: there were none. Video to come.

WALB was there for a long time, so they’ll probably cover it (they did). Matthew Woody of the VDT had heaps of material and went off to file by 10PM (here’s his story).

Three Lowndes County Commissioners were there: Chairman Bill Slaughter, Joyce Evans, and Crawford Powell, and County Engineer Mike Fletcher and Utilities Director Mike Allen. Not one of them spoke.

In Gilchrist County, Florida, all five County Commissioners, plus Continue reading →

There’s nothing we can do about the pipeline –Bill Slaughter @ LCC 2014-02-24

“There’s nothing we can do,” said Lowndes County Commissioners about the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline, after the Chairman refused to let a citizen speak during the 25 February 2014 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session. But there are things local governments can do, as other local governments and elected officials have already demonstrated.

Citizen Carol Singletary drove 100 miles to get there. As Chairman Bill Slaughter asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting, she said she called in to say she wanted to speak. Slaughter responded,

You have to fill out the paperwork and everything in order.

Phillip Singletary said he did, and it was in the Commission Chamber entranceway.

The Chairman did not relent; “just do it next week; next time”. Nevermind that he has let people speak who hadn’t turned in the paperwork before the meeting started (we have videos). He even let pipeline reps speak from the audience without coming up to the podium and didn’t let any citizens speak at the Spectra sales pitch back in December.

Commissioner John Page moved to adjourn, and added that he would like to see Ms. Singletary after the meeting. Chairman agreed, somebody seconded, and they voted to adjourn.

Do elected Commissioners now have to get a vote of the Commission to talk to citizens?

Here’s the video of that part.

After the meeting, Continue reading →

FERC pipeline Scoping Meeting tonight in Valdosta: testify for your community

A local affected landowner and the chair of a local political party ask you to come tonight at 6PM at the Holiday Inn on West Hill Avenue to testify to the federal agency that decides on a permit for the proposed yard-wide hundred-foot right of way methane pipeline that a company from Houston wants to gash through here. First a presentation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), then citizens can stand up and be recorded by a court reporter.

As directly affected local landowner Carol Singletary pointed out on WALB Sunday,

“When you have it within 100 feet of your home, you cannot have any sense of security there. There are alternate routes that aren’t being considered. So I want to get those on the table and some strong considerations given to those.”

As Gretchen Quarterman pointed out for the Lowndes County Democratic Party on WCTV yesterday,

“The Georgia Democrats feel that there’s a moral obligation to leave the world as beautiful and majestic as we found it and the pipeline, it does not do that”, says Gretchen Quarterman, Chairman of the Lowndes County Democratic Committee.

More from the LCDP Press Release yesterday, plus more meetings and more ways to testify, Continue reading →

Valdosta City Council member Tim Carroll files with FERC

Tim Carroll, District 5, has filed a request based on property rights and water issues for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to deny the Sabal Trail Transmission methane pipeline that Spectra Energy wants to run through Lowndes County. Here’s the letter: Property rights and water: please deny the Sabal Trail methane pipeline –Tim Carroll, Valdosta City Council, 5th District

Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, and at least one landowner with land in the path of that proposed pipeline lives in the City of Valdosta in Council Carroll’s district.

-jsq

Adapt natural gas pipeline to renewable resources? –Laura Dailey @ GCC 2014-02-20

Spectra was unwilling to consider adapting their Sabal Trail pipeline plan to include renewable energy, other than to continue reiterating that they do natural gas pipelines, and to refer to renewables only as “alternative” energy.

Laura Dailey asked at the Gilchrist County Commission meeting 20 February 2014:

Will the pipelines be adaptable to future use of other forms of energy besides the transmission of fossil fuels. Anybody know that?

Brian Fahrentholdt of Spectra answered: Continue reading →

1,000 feet is not enough –Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson @ GCC 2014-02-20

The President of Our Santa Fe River said even much more distance than the pipeline company was proposing wouldn’t be far enough away from her river, and the Chairman said specific answers were lacking from the pipeline company, at the Gilchrist County Commission meeting 20 February 2014.

Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, President of Our Santa Fe River, said:

I don’t think a thousand feet on either side is going to deal with the impacts on the Santa Fe River.

She asked for the Commission’s support.

Chairman D. Ray Harrison Jr (District 2) thanked her and added: Continue reading →

More the county could do about the pipeline –John S. Quarterman @ LCC 2014-02-25

I thanked the County Manager but mentioned something else the county could do about that pipeline, at the 25 February 2014 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

I thanked County Manager Joe Pritchard for notifying constituents like FERC had recommended about the FERC Scoping Meetings starting next week.

Then I read the recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) after Spectra Energy’s 1994 Durham Woods pipeline fireball in Edison, New Jersey that burnt dozens, evacuated thousands, made hundreds homeless, and literally scared one woman to death:

The public will not benefit from the safety improvement recommendations developed in RSPA’s public safety risk study without guidance containing implementation procedures and without motivation from associations representing local governments.

I suggested Lowndes County Commissioners might want to talk to the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) about that.

Here’s the video:

Continue reading →

Objections and Sabal Trail pipeline reader –Danielle Jordan @ LCC 2014-02-25

A local native and VSU student voiced her objection to the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline in the 25 February 2014 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

8. Citizens Wishing To Be Heard – Danielle Jordan

And she handed the Commission a pipeline reader. The VDT summarized:

During the citizens to be heard portion of the meeting, Danielle Jordan voiced her opposition to the Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline because “it violates personal property rights, causes safety concerns, and causes troublesome environmental impacts.” She then presented the commission with a packet of research.

Here’s the video:

Continue reading →

FERC Scoping Meetings on Sabal Trail Pipeline –Joe Pitchard @ LCC 2014-02-25

County Manager Joe Pritchard told everyone about the FERC Notice of Intent and Scoping Meetings starting next week (Albany Monday 3 March, Valdosta Holiday Inn on West Hill Ave. Tuesday 4 March, Moultrie 5 March, all at 6PM). at the 25 February 2014 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

7. Reports-County Manager

He said materials were on the county’s website, and they are:

Continue reading →