Looks like we have a theme here, of
Spectra and Sabal Trail not answering questions,
often accompanied by mentions of threatening letters,
on
WALB (Spectra reps not familiar
with fines against their own company),
from
Shale Property Rights (“your statement is incorrect and misleading”),
on
WCTV
(“tonight’s meeting didn’t ease everyone’s fears”),
in
the Moultrie Observer (“Sabal began sending letters to landowners”),
on
Chris Beckham’s radio show (“veiled threats” and no response to
a landowner attorney’s letter of denial of access),
and spelled out in the headline of yesterday’s VDT article.
Matthew Woody
wrote for the VDT yesterday,
Sabal Trail meeting leaves questions unanswered,
The formats for both the Wiregrass and Clyattville meetings were
perceived by area residents as unfriendly and intimidating.
“It’s the same set up as the meeting at Wiregrass,” said
affected landowner Carol Singletary. “I am
disappointed.”
Brooks County landowner, Tracy Ryder, said the hardest part about
the layout of the meeting was that residents had to come with the
right questions to ask because Sabal Trail did not easily provide
the information.
“Overall, the meeting has good presentations, but not good
information. It seems to be designed to win admiration without
providing value. Some of the representatives have been courteous,
but they aren’t straightforward with residents,” said James
Ryder. “After this meeting, I feel kind of let down. I didn’t
get the information that I wanted.”
Many residents expressed concern about safety issues, property
values, paying property taxes on land that cannot be developed,
reselling their property, and proper compensation for the use of
their land.
Here’s
a report by the Ryders about
the 16 October 2013
meeting by Spectra:
We attended an open house meeting conducted by Sabal Trail in
Valdosta, GA, last October at which time people were able to view
charts and map and ask questions regarding the proposed pipeline and
corridors. Sabal Trail representatives were not releasing
information about the corridors and specific properties that were to
be impacted because they said they were still in the planning and
research stages. They did state they wanted to lay their pipeline
next to the SONAT line, and that they were no longer considering
utilizing the corridor affecting Tifton, Georgia because “there
were too many people involved”. My reply to that was that property
owners in Brooks County are people, too, and that we are already
negatively impacted by the pre-existing SONAT pipe line.
Most importantly, we did note that there was no representation of
Brooks County people at that meeting, or at any of the following
meetings in Lowndes County. Lowndes County citizens are quite
organized in their resistance to this new pipe line. We are
contacting you with a questionnaire to learn what your concerns are.
If Brooks County property owners organize and form a united front,
we should be able to have our concerns addressed. By organizing we
will have greater leverage to if not to change the course of the new
gas line, to demand and negotiate better compensation for our
losses. As I fear they will be significant.
And according to the VDT, the Ryders remain disappointed in the pipeline
company for not supplying information.
They’re not the only ones.
-jsq
Amusingly, when the VDT fixed the typos in their online story,
they redacted me and Gretchen right out of it.
I’m flattered!
Still, congratulations to the VDT on quoting a lot of landowners
(and a few others who remained unredacted),
and on putting this story on the front page.
