News 2013-2015

News Stories about WWALS 2013-2015.
For the rest see News.

Lori McCraney, Suwannee Democrat, 24 December 2015, Opinion: Suwannee County commissioners lack resolve against Sabal Trail (WWALS blog post),
“Apparently, rural lives matter less than urban lives.”
Joe Adgie, Valdosta Daily Times (and Moultrie Observer), 20 December 2015, EPA reverses stand on impact pipeline would have on aquifer (WWALS blog post),

“I don’t understand how EPA and FERC can say there will not be a negative impact on our environment, aquifer, streams and rivers,” said Valdosta City Councilman Tim Carroll. “A number of experts testified and spoke up saying the likelihood is very high that there could be damage to the aquifer and the environment. Why would we want to allow this to happen, to run the risk of seriously degrading one of the best water resources in the world?”

A Sierra Club of Florida official suggested the change in direction was politically motivated.

“I smell a skunk,” said Frank Jackalone, senior organizing manager of the Sierra Club of Florida. “This sudden 180-degree reversal raises the question of whether the pipeline’s powerful investors pulled political strings to get EPA to back away from the objections it raised a few months ago.”

John Quarterman, WWALS Watershed Coalition president, was not pleased with the change in direction either.

“The one government agency actually defending our drinking water in the Floridan Aquifer and the many rivers in Georgia and Florida just stifled itself,” Quarterman said.

The pipeline has been the subject of criticism from residents of Florida, Georgia and Alabama since 2013.

Local opposition has concerned property rights, with landowners contending Sabal Trail has illegally used eminent domain to get on their property for a pipeline that may not supply natural gas to customers in Georgia.

The Lowndes County Commission and the Valdosta City Council passed resolutions in 2014 opposing the pipeline, contending the rights of property owners were in jeopardy because of the pipeline.
Chip Harp, Valdosta Today, 19 December 2015, EPA STEPS BACK ON SABAL TRAIL CONCERNS
Dan Chapman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 18 December 2015, Southwest Georgia pipeline advances,

Georgia landowners and environmentalists were livid.

“This report just shows they are nothing but a lap dog for the natural gas industry and they’ve never seen a pipeline they don’t like,” said Steve Caley, legal director for Atlanta-based GreenLaw which is fighting the pipe. “They issued a final environmental (statement) while acknowledging they don’t have all the information yet.”

Spectra Energy, the Texas-based pipeline builder, wants to deliver 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from a major trunk line in Alabama to Florida. The proposed route would mostly follow existing utility rights-of-way, a factor cited Friday by FERC in support of the plan.

It would also cross under the Chattahoochee, Flint, Withlacoochee and Ochlocknee rivers. Spectra says the pipe will be buried at least 32 feet below any stream….

Federal environmental officials earlier this year outlined “very significant concerns” over the proposed route. The Environmental Protection Agency recommended that Spectra reroute the project to avoid more than 1,000 acres of wetlands, the Floridan Aquifer that supplies drinking water to millions of people and “other environmentally sensitive areas.”

“And FERC completely ignored all of them,” GreenLaw’s Caley said. “They totally ignored all the scientists at EPA, the expert reports we submitted and thousands of comments from public citizens.”…

Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources must still approve an air quality permit for the compressor station. FERC commissioners must also sign off on the project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may weigh in too. GreenLaw is considering a lawsuit.
Press Release, Florida Sierra Club, 17 December 2015, EPA says Sabal Trail pipeline is threat to Florida’s drinking water, then recants,

The Sierra Club strongly opposes any oil and gas pipelines proposed for Florida. Currently we are working in opposition to the Sabal Trail Pipeline, a joint venture of Spectra Energy, Duke Energy and Next Era, the parent company of Florida Power & Light Co….
Back in Florida, after the EPA issued its scathing report, the WWALS Watershed Coalition asked a Florida administrative law judge to take judicial notice of the EPA objections. But the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) joined Sabal Trail Transmission LLC, the company proposing the pipeline, and objected to the judicial notice. The Administrative Law Judge denied the Coalitionâ€™s request and on December 11th, the judge recommended that DEP should issue an environmental resource permit for the proposed pipeline.
Sabal Trail Transmission LLC must also acquire a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act before the pipeline can be built. Sierra Club Florida, working with the Gulf Restoration Network and Green Law recently submitted comments in opposition to the Sabal Trail Pipeline to the U.S Army Corps of Engineers.
We will continue to do everything we can to oppose the Sabal Trail Pipeline and will keep our Members posted about ways you can take action to oppose the Pipeline.
Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 16 December 2015, The future of energy: Debate takes over Suwannee commission meeting (WWALS blog post),
Carl McKinney’s droll legend refers on his picture refers to WWALS board member Chris Mericle as “Jasper man”. The map shows sinkholes near the proposed pipeline path across the Suwannee River and the Falmouth Cathedral Cave System, at the Suwannee County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday December 15th 2015. They did nothing about a further resolution against Sabal Trail, although numerous citizens (many of them WWALS members) from Suwannee County and nearby counties helped discuss the situation.
Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 16 December 2015, EPA reverses stance on Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline project,
“This was really bold. There was a very detailed analysis of why the pipeline was flawed in the 30-page letter by the EPA to FERC. Now suddenly in a five-page letter, James Giattina (an EPA administrator) throws it all out the window,” Jackalone said Wednesday….

EPA spokeswoman Davina Marraccini said Wednesday that based on the new information and more recent technical review, EPA has concluded the project as proposed addresses wetland-related issues…“EPA expects that the potential wetlands impacts will be addressed in more detail during the permit process and looks forward to reviewing the final mitigation plan during that review,” Marraccini said.
Christopher Curry, Ocala StarBanner, 16 December 2015, EPA reverses position on Sabal Trail pipeline,

The lone government agency with environmental concerns over the planned Sabal Trail pipeline has changed its tune and dropped its objections.
In a Dec. 11 letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated that it changed its stance after meeting with Sabal Trail company representatives, reviewing written comments from the companyâ€™s vice president/deputy general counsel and looking â€œmore closelyâ€ at the project….
“This sudden, 180 degree reversal raises the question of whether the pipeline’s powerful investors pulled political strings to get EPA to back away from the objections it raised a few months ago in a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,” Frank Jackalone, senior organizing manager for Sierra Club Florida, wrote in an email Tuesday evening.

In a message on its website, the south Georgia environmental group WWALS Watershed Coalition, which recently launched an unsuccessful challenge against a state permit for the pipeline, raised concerns about the EPA’s reliance on information provided by Houston-based Spectra Energy, the firm that will construct, own and operate the pipeline, instead of information from groups such as Sierra Club.

EPA and Spectra Energy officials could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday morning.
Bruce Ritchie, Politico, 16 December 2015, EPA reverses course on several Sabal Trail pipeline issues (WWALS blog post),

“This sudden, 180-degree reversal raises the question of whether the pipeline’s powerful investors pulled political strings to get EPA to back away from the objections it raised a few months ago,” [Frank] Jackalone [of Sierra Club Florida Chapter] said in an email Tuesday to POLITICO Florida.
Dean Poling, Valdosta Daily Times, 15 December 2015, Logo wanted for river trail (WWALS blog post
Brittany Kleinpeter, WTXL, Tallahassee, Florida, 14 December 2015, Environmental Group is Not Surprised by Judge’s Decision (WWALS blog post),

John Quarterman, president of the WWALS, says the natural gas pipeline could violate citizen’s property rights, “we see no reason to risk local citizens’ property, or taxes, or their drinking water, or any part of the ecology for a profit for a company from some other state.”
Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 14 December 2015, Judge rules in favor of Sabal Trail pipeline,

John Quarterman is the president of WWALS Watershed Coalition, which brought the legal challenge forward to try and block the state from issuing a permit.

“The judge’s decision is not unanticipated, but disappointing,” Quarterman said. “We’re considering our options.”

The basis of the lawsuit was that the DEP didn’t do its due diligence in making sure Sabal Trail’s assurances about environmental impact were accurate, he said.

Though the agency hasn’t done so yet, it intends to grant the permit. Until it does, WWALS can’t appeal the judge’s decision, Quarterman said.

Sabal Trail was treated like any other permit applicant, Quarterman said, according to the DEP’s own statements. However, the Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers, which the pipeline would cross, have a special legal classification giving them higher levels of protection, he added.
Joe Fisher, Natural Gas Intelligence, 14 December 2015, ALJ Recommends Florida Permit For Sabal Trail,

Environmental group WWALS Watershed Coalition Inc.’s primary objection to the project is the laying of pipeline in what it says is unstable karst terrain unfit for such a project. Such limestone geology is subject to holes, cracks and fissures, as well as sinkholes, which are common in North Florida.

However, ALJ Bram D.E. Canter recommended that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issue a permit for the project [CP15-17], which is a joint venture of Spectra Energy and NextEra Energy Inc. (see Daily GPI, Nov. 21, 2014)….

Canter also wrote that besides four WWALS members whose property would be crossed by Sabal Trail, the concerns of other members of the organizations were generally speculative when it came to how they would be affected by the pipeline. "Although a substantial number of WWALS members have substantial interests in the use and enjoyment of the waters and environment of Hamilton County and Suwannee County, a showing of potential injury to those interests was only established in the record for four WWALS members — the four who own land that the pipeline will cross," Canter wrote.

WWALS members are not the first to raise the issue of fragile karst terrain in the path of Sabal Trail. Lawmakers from Georgia have asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider route alternatives, mainly to avoid low-income communities but also out of a concern for karst (see Daily GPI, Oct. 27). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has raised multiple concerns about the project, including karst (see Daily GPI, Oct. 23).
Carolina Bolado, Law360, 14 December 2015, Enviros Lose Challenge To $3B Fla. Natural Gas Pipeline,

WWALS had filed a challenge in August after the DEP published a notice of intent to issue permits for the Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline proposed by Spectra Energy Corp. and NextEra Energy Inc.

The organization expressed concerns about how the pipeline would affect fish and wildlife as well as water quality in the area. WWALS also said its members’ recreational use of the rivers and surrounding area could be affected by the pipeline.

Attorney William Wohlsifer, who represents WWALS, expressed frustration at the judge saying that the environmental group had failed to provide evidence about potential consequences of the pipeline. He said the judge had not permitted the group to present evidence regarding safety.
News Service of Florida, Daily Commercial (also Ocala StarBanner via AP) 12 Dec 2015, Judge backs Sabal Trail pipeline project (WWALS blog post),

The WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc. challenged a department decision to approve the permit, pointing to concerns about issues such as the project’s effects on wetlands, water quality and wildlife. Canter ruled that the group didn’t have legal standing to challenge the permit but also went further and rejected arguments against the project.
Bruce Ritchie, Politico, 11 December 2015, Judge: DEP should issue environmental permit for Sabal Trail pipeline,

But a lawyer representing the WWALS Watershed Coalition said she was waiting for the go-ahead from the group to appeal in state court once DEP issues a permit. She said the group will ask the court to consider the EPA letter after Canter refused to provide a judicial review of it.

“A lot of people don’t even know about this pipeline,” said Leighanne Boone, representing the WWALS Watershed Coalition.

“They don’t know about this coming through. They think DEP is out there to protect. Wouldn’t they be surprised?”…

Boone said Friday that if there is additional evidence, the department should be able to deny the permit.

“No, I don’t believe they are joined at the hip,” she said. “They should be an independent agency that serves the people of Florida.”

Canter said in his order that the pipeline would be drilled under the Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers to avoid surface impacts and 1.7 miles from Blue Springs State Park in Madison County. The pipeline, at four to six feet beneath the land surface, would cross above the Falmouth Cave system more than 100 feet below ground, Canter wrote.

Boone said the WWALS Coalition had its own expert testimony showing there was a reasonable chance of harm as a result of the pipeline going through the region.

“I’m not sure if they read the transcript or what happened,” she said. “But I definitely felt we showed expert testimony of irreversible impacts.”
Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 10 Dec 2015, County not sending pipeline opposition letter,

The Suwannee County Commission adjourned a special Âcalled meeting Thursday after it declined to send a letter requesting regulators keep the Sabal Trail pipeline out of Florida and Suwannee County. “The pristine nature of this area should be kept in tact,” the letter states. Commissioners debated the letter at Live Oak City Hall Thursday morning. It would have been sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which the pipeline needs a permit from, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission….
Commissioner Wesley Wainwright was the first to elaborate on his stance at Thursday’s meeting.

“My business depends very heavily on energy,” he said, expressing concerns about how it would be impacted by rising costs.

“Natural gas is a viable alternative,” he continued.

However, if the other commissioners wanted to send the letter, Wainwright would support it to maintain a unified front, he added.

Wainwright said he believes the pipeline doesn’t pose a serious risk to the environment.

Environmental groups challenging the nearly 500Âmile project, which would run from Alabama through Georgia and Florida, dispute that stance, though.

John Quarterman, president of WWALS Watershed Coalition, said in an interview there is no peerreviewed evidence supporting claims it wouldn’t harm sensitive geological areas. It cuts right through Florida’s aquifer, he said, and threatens fragile layers of soluble rocks, which could create sinkholes.

“The pipeline would be massively destructive,” Quarterman said….

Area resident Debra Johnson asked the commission for a brief time to speak, which it reluctantly agreed to.

Natural gas is not a “bridge fuel” to sustainable energy, she said, but is actually one of the worst greenhouse gases.

The pipeline would deliver gas to Florida Power & Light, but there’s another way, she said. Solar power could meet the company’s needs just as well, she added, according to a statement from FPL itself.

A proposed port in Tampa could also be a better way to transport energy without threatening Florida’s aquifer, Johnson said.

“No matter which way you look at it, that’s what this pipeline does,” she added.
Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 9 Dec 2015, Suwannee County pipeline fight: Sabal Trail emergency meeting tomorrow morning, (WWALS blog post)

The Suwannee County Commission has called an emergency meeting tomorrow, Dec. 10, at 9:30 a.m. to discuss the fight against the Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline. It was originally on the agenda for next week’s meeting on Dec. 15.

The meeting will be at Live Oak City Hall, 101 SE White Ave in Live Oak.

Commissioners will discuss sending a letter to the US Army Corps of Engineers asking it prevent the pipeline from running through the county.
Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 7 December 2015, Suwannee County seeks allies in pipeline fight (WWALS blog post)

County staff is writing a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Florida, requesting the pipeline not enter Suwannee County….

John Quarterman, the president of WWALS Watershed Coalition environmental group, said he suspects several people will show up to the Dec. 15 meeting.

“There are certainly people in Suwannee County and nearby who are worried,” he said.
Steve Ahlquist, RI Future.org, 30 November 2015, Former inspectors allege safety issues with Spectra pipeline project,

Spectra has a â€œhas a checkered history of accidents and violations of federal safety rules in the U.S. and Canada dating back decades,â€ says Dan Christensen writing in the Miami Herald. â€œSince 2006, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration recorded 25 incidents that caused more than $12 million in property damage along Spectraâ€™s main line â€” the 9,000-mile Texas Eastern Transmission that connects Texas and the Gulf Coast with big urban markets in the Northeast. The causes ranged from equipment failure and incorrect operations to pipe corrosion.â€

WWALS is featured in that 16 August 2015 Miami Herald story.
See also We were told to shut up or quit â€“Spectra Energy whistleblowers.
Bruce Ritchie, POLITICO Florida, 25 November 2015 (tweeted by Watershed alliance 28 December 2015), Scott administration helped keep scathing EPA pipeline report out of legal challenge, (WWALS blog post)

Four days later, the WWALS Watershed Coalition asked Administrative Law Judge Bram D.E. Canter to take judicial notice of the EPA objections.

But the Florida Department of Environmental Protection joined Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC in objecting, and Canter refused the request.
Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 20 November 2015, Dozens gather in Live Oak to oppose gas pipeline, compress station (WWALS blog post),

Not one hand raised among the dozens in the room when a county commissioner asked who came to support the proposed Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline which would run through three states and dissect Suwannee County if approved.
Tuesday evening, every parking space at the countyâ€™s judicial annex building was full as Oâ€™Brien residents, people from Live Oak and activists and experts from as far as New Orleans gathered at the county commission meeting to voice their opposition to the project.
The commission was voting on a measure to send a letter to Sabal Trail Transmission, a partnership between Spectra Energy, Duke Energy and NextEra Energy, asking it to reconsider a controversial compressor station for the pipeline it plans to place in Oâ€™Brien.
Johanna deGraffenreid, Gulf Restoration Network, 20 November 2015, Suwannee County Stands Up to Sabal Trail,

This week I had the pleasure of meeting dozens of community members in Suwannee County, Florida who are working to protect their community and the drinking water supply for the state. Individuals with the WWALS Watershed Coalition and Gulf Restoration Network walked a section of the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline route within the Suwannee River State Forest. Chris Mericle, a member of Gulf Restoration Network and board member of WWALS, showed the group one of the many active sinkholes along and nearby the proposed route.Chris Mericle shows the group an active sinkhole near the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline route through the Suwannee River State Park.
The Suwannee County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday to support moving the proposed natural gas compressor station associated with the Sabal Trail pipeline in their Florida community. When the county commission asked the packed room who was there to support the pipeline and compressor station not a single individual raised their hand. What followed was two hours of testimony supporting not just the resolution, but a complete ban on the compressor station and the Sabal Trail pipeline coming through their backyards.
Joe Adgie, Valdosta Daily Times, 5 November 2015, Sabal makes Georgia Water Coalition’s Dirty Dozen (WWALS blog post and another WWALS blog post), In which Spectra Energy’s Andrea Grover claims “The pipeline will not contaminate water or aquifers,” despite Spectraâ€™s own SEC 10-K and Sabal Trail’s own Karst Mitigation Plan.
Brad McEwan, Albany Herald, 4 November 2015, Proposed Sabal Trail pipeline makes water coalition Dirty Dozen: Georgia Water Coalition says Sabal Pipeline risky for SOWEGA (WWALS blog post),

According to the Dirty Dozen report the biggest concern voiced by the coalition, which is a consortium of 228 conservation and environmental organizations, hunting and fishing groups, businesses and faith-based organizations, is that the proposed pipeline could negatively impact the Withlacoochee, Flint, and Chattahoochee rivers, as well as smaller streams and creeks, along with the Florida aquifer, which is considered the regionâ€™s most important water source.
Kristina Torres, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4 November 2015, “Dirty Dozen” pollution sites named by Georgia Water Coalition: Sabal Trail is on it again, submitted by WWALS again.
Lauren Ritchie, Orlando Sentinel, 4 November 2015, Natural-gas pipeline threatens aquifer,

After 18 months of debate about a natural-gas pipeline that would tear through a corner of south Lake County, the federal Environment Protection Agency last week unleashed 30 pages of objections, including specific opposition to the line going through the fragile Green Swamp.
Finally! Thank heavens the EPA is defending the swamp, the source of much of the state’s drinking water stored in the Floridan Aquifer.
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(The article doesn’t actually metion WWALS.)
Ocala StarBanner, 29 October 2015, Editorial: A public watchdog when one’s needed (WWALS blog post)

How refreshing it is to see what is supposed to be a public watchdog, the EPA, act like, rather than serve as industry rubber stamps like the FERC, DEP and PSC.
Christopher Curry, Gainesville Sun (also Ocala StarBanner and Daily Commercial of Sumter and Lake Counties), 27 October 2015, EPA: Sabal Trail pipeline’s path should be rerouted

The Environmental Protection Agency’s comments, outlined in a 26-page letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, left area activists feeling vindicated.
“Two years ago, that was the first thing we said to (FERC). With the aquifer and the karst sensitive areas, this is a bad place to put it,” said Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson of Our Santa Fe River Inc. “It’s nice to get the technical and scientific re-enforcement of what we as advocates have been saying from day one.
“But will it change anything? I hope so.”
The EPA strongly recommended an alternative pipeline route and a more thorough investigation….
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection intends to issue an environmental permit — a decision challenged by the WWALS Watershed Coalition, a south Georgia environmental group with members in north Florida.
Dave Williams, Atlanta Business Chronicle, 27 October 2015, EPA objects to Georgia pipeline project (no actual mention of WWALS, but very similar to the AJC article with the WWALS picture)
Greg Bluestein, AJC, (also Valdosta Today, Valdosta Daily Times, and WALB), 27 October 2015, Feds deliver blow to proposed Sabal Trail pipeline running through Georgia (WWALS member Don Thieme is pictured.)
Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 26 October 2015, EPA objects to portions of Sabal Trail pipeline, calls for re-routing
Carl McKinney, Suwannee Democrat, 23 October 2015, Jasper hearings could decide fate of gas pipeline

On Wednesday, the WWALS Watershed Coalition and Tallahassee attorneys representing Sabal Trail met in the Hamilton County Courthouse, for the final hearing in an ongoing challenge to prevent the state from issuing a permit for the pipeline route.
Lori McCraney, Suwannee Democrat, 23 October 2015, Letter to the editor

In issuing the Environmental Resource Permit and Easement to use Sovereign Submerged lands for Sabal Trail pipeline project, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has apparently relied heavily on the information provided by Sabal Trail and has rubber-stamped Sabal Trail’s permit approval.
Just as disturbing is the Suwannee River Water Management District’s inability to meet its statutory responsibility to protect the Districtâ€™s water supply, water quality and natural systems.
In an April 18, 2014 memorandum to FERC, SRWMD geologist Carlos Herd and hydrogeologist Dale Jenkins essentially recommended that the pipeline project avoid karst limestone, areas with unconfined aquifer, caves, springs, wetlands, drilling under rivers, blasting, and using District groundwater for testing then disposing of the water afterwards. However, when called to testify Wednesday at the WWALS Watershed Coalition hearing, neither man seemed to recall any details about the memorandum that they co-authored.
Did these professionals neglect to review the memorandum prior to testifying, or were they muted by pressure from Tallahassee, where politics now trump established science? How can the DEP and SRWMD possibly be serving the best interests of the people of Florida in such a politicized climate?
Suwannee Democrat, 23 October 2015, Jam-packed weekend and Sabal Trail fiasco,

Sabal Trail pipeline fiasco

The Sabal Trail pipeline’s proposed route has it running straight through Suwannee County, from north to south with a compressor station at Hildreth. The pipeline, if approved, will go under two rivers here, by many springs, karst topography areas and right above the Floridian aquifer.
We have a lot at stake in this county and by looking at the proposed route, we have a lot of the pipe going through here. So why is it, then, that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) felt the need to hold a public meeting in Columbia County to get public input on the matter and not here nor in neighboring Hamilton County, which will also see pipeline construction if approved? By the way, the pipelineâ€™s current proposed route doesnâ€™t have it going through Columbia County.
John Peconom, an environmental manager with FERC and one of the authors of the draft environmental impact study regarding the project, stated that FERC was unable to find suitable facilities here or in Hamilton County in which to hold public meetings.
The WWALS Watershed Coalition held a legal hearing this week against Sabal Trail. It was held in Hamilton County. The hearing was going to be held in Tallahassee, but was moved to Hamilton County, thanks to WWALS. By the way, the pipelineâ€™s proposed route doesnâ€™t have it going through Leon County, where Tallahassee is, either.
A suitable facility was obtained for this hearing in Hamilton County.
Funny how that happens.
Amber Vann, Suwannee Democrat, 7 October 2015, Locals speak out against gas pipeline (WWALS blog post),

WWALS Watershed Coalition President John Quarterman asked the crowd if they felt insignificant, citing the DEIS’ findings that the SMP’s environmental impacts would be “less than significant”. Quarterman, as well as several other speakers, advocated for the move towards solar energy in Florida, the “Sunshine State”.

“In less than 10 years when most of the power, if not all, in the U.S.’s electrical grid is coming from sun, wind and water, the companies still pushing fossil fuels in the year 2015 and those who aid and abet them will be seen like the tobacco company executives still pushing cigarettes to children when they know full well they cause cancer,” Quarterman said. “FERC’s process is completely broken. I say to the FERC commissioners—if you don’t want to be remembered on the wrong side of history, do the right thing and deny this pipeline.”

Quarterman and WWALS are behind a hearing filed against Sabal Trail planned for Oct. 19-22 in Jasper or Live Oak, which could potentially halt the project if WWALS is favored, Quarterman said.
Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 5 October 2015, Audubon Florida supports Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline, (WWALS blog post)

Hundreds of residents along the proposed route oppose the project, asserting that rivers such as the Suwannee River as well as springs and the regionâ€™s water supply will be adversely impacted by its construction and operation.
Wetlands will be filled resulting in reduced fish and wildlife habitat, WWALs Watershed Coalition Inc. stated in a petition filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Videos, Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, 2 October 2015, Pipeline in Floridan Aquifer is total insanity â€“Marcellus Shale drilling veteran @ FERC Lake City 2015-10-01
Dan Christensen, Miami Herald, 2 October 2015, Firm says Gov. Scott’s stake in pipeline project is ‘irrelevant’ (WWALS blog post)

Environmental groups seek to block $3 billion project
Coalition seeks all correspondences from Scott, his office
Staff says governor’s blind trust shields him from conflict
Videos, Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, 2 October 2015, Insanity: Sabal Trail pipeline in karst sinkhole Floridan Aquifer @ FERC Lake City 2015-10-01
Joe Adgie, Valdosta Daily Times, 2 October 2015, REgulators hear from Valdosta about Sabal Trail (WWALS blog post),

John Quarterman spoke of sinkholes that could result from the construction of Sabal Trail and what it could mean for water wells or water sinks.

“I’m sure everyone around here has heard of the Shiloh Road sinkhole and the Snake Nation Road Sinkhole that the county had to spend around $500,000 to fix,” Quarterman said. “If the pipeline drilling under the Suwannee River or the Withlacoochee River were to cause a sinkhole, it could have an effect on we don’t really know whose wells or where else.”
Videos, Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, 1 October 2015, Sabal Trail bad for VSU, rivers, animals, landowners, and community: to FERC in Valdosta 2015-09-30
Christopher Curry, Ocala StarBanner, 1 October 2015, Small crowd, big opposition to natural gas pipeline,

“The citizens in the counties this pipeline will go through will get no benefit from this pipeline,” said Deanna Mericle, a Hamilton County resident and member of the the environmental group WWALS Watershed Coalition.

This group has an active legal challenge to a pending Florida department of Environmental Protection approval of the project. It’s scheduled to go to an administrative law judge this month.
Dan Christensen, Florida Bulldog, 30 September 2015, Pipeline company to judge: Evidence of Gov. Scott’s investment in us â€˜irrelevantâ€™
Videos, Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, 30 September 2015, A farce, a hoax, and wrong: citizens about Sabal to FERC in Moultrie 2015-09-29
Kevin C. Hall, Moultrie Observer, 30 September 2015, ‘Hoax’ alleged in Sabal Trail
Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 29 September 2015, FERC gets an earful from Sabal Trail pipeline opponents: More than 200 show up for public hearing at Albany Civic Center (This article does not mention WWALS, but it’s about the first in the series of FERC meetings that next moved into WWALS territory.)
Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 26 September 2015, CARLTON FLETCHER: Anti-pipeline letter steps over line (WWALS blog post)
Amber Vann, Jasper News (and Suwannee Democrat), 24 September 2015, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Sabal’s proposed pipeline impact ‘less than significant’ on environment (WWALS blog)
Christopher Curry, Gainesville Sun, 14 September 2104, Sabal Trail pipeline environmental impact ‘not significant,’ feds say,
A south Georgia-based environmental group with members in north Florida, the WWALS Watershed Coalition, has an active challenge against that DEP permit that’s been assigned to administrative law judge with Florida’s Division of Administrative Hearings.
Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson and Jim Tatum, Suwannee Democrat, 14 September 2015, The FERC flexes its muscles on Sabal Trail (WWALS blog)
Carlton Fletcher, Albany Herald, 13 September 2015, FERC Sabal Trail ruling comes amidst protest: Group holds fasting vigil outside federal agencyâ€™s offices (WWALS blog post),

Meanwhile, in Florida an environmental group has filed a petition with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to stop development of the pipeline over concerns about the safety record of Spectra Energy, the Houston-based company that will build the pipeline. The group points to a May pipeline rupture under the Arkansas River that forced two miles of the river to be shut down after an estimated 3.9 million cubic feet of natural gas was released.
Mary Shanklin, Orlando Sentinel, 9 September 2015, Natural-gas pipeline to Florida draws environmental concerns (WWALS blog post)

The Sabal Trail Pipeline has drawn opposition from a Florida group affiliated with WWALS Watershed Coalition Inc., which is based in Georgia. A chief concern is that the pipeline could impact Florida waterways and the drinking-water supply, said John S. Quarterman, director of the Florida and Georgia WWALS groups.
Florida Water Daily, 8 September 2015, Environmental Groups Challenge Gas Pipeline Plans
Dan Christensen, Miami Herald, 6 September 2015, Pipeline foes ask DEP to deny key permit, cite ‘conflict of interest’ by Gov. Rick Scott (WWALS blog post)
“The risk is not just to these waters … it is to the entire state of Florida whose growing population relies on the Floridan aquifer for much of its drinking water”
Winnie Wright, WCTV, 4 September 2015, WWALS Receives Hearing on Sabal Trail Pipeline (WWALS blog post)
CBS Miami, 4 September 2015, Judge To Consider Florida Pipeline Permit Dispute (WWALS blog post)
Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 4 September 2015, State regulators grant hearing to anti-pipeline group (WWALS blog post)

Hamilton County resident and WWALS-FL registered agent Chris Mericle said, “We cannot continue to carve up our countryside like a cheap piece of meat and sell it to the highest bidder.”
Christopher Curry, Gainesville Sun, (and Ocala StarBanner), 4 September 2015, Part of Sabal Trail challenge will proceed (WWALS blog post)
Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 3 September 2015, Florida DEP says anti-pipeline group’s case to be heard (WWALS blog post)
Christopher Curry, Gainesville Sun and Ocala StarBanner, 3 September 2015 DEP again rejects Georgia groupâ€™s challenge to Sabal Trail pipeline (WWALS blog post)
Winnie Wright, WCTV, 3 September 2015, Pipeline Opposition Group Denied Appeal By FL-DEP (WWALS blog post)
Scott Callahan and Christopher Curry Halifax Media Group, Daily Commercial, 2 September 2015, Proposed natural gas pipeline draws petition (WWALS blog post)
John S. Quarterman, VDT, 2 September 2015, Let’s stop Sabal Trail before it makes any more mistakes
Christopher Heath, WFTV, 1 September 2015, 9 Investigates new Florida natural gas pipeline (WWALS blog post)
Susan Salisbury, Palm Beach Post, 31 August 2015, Gas pipeline slated to supply FPL’s plants faces opposition (WWALS blog post)
Dan Christensen, Florida Bulldog, 1 September 2015, Pipeline foes ask DEP to deny key permit; Cite â€˜conflict of interestâ€™ by Gov. Scott (WWALS blog post)
Chris Curry, Gainesville Sun, 1 September 2015, Natural gas pipeline permit challenged (WWALS blog post)
WCTV, Winnie Wright, 28 August 2015, WWALS Watershed Coalition Files Petition Against Pipeline (WWALS blog post)

“The combination of all this opposition, what we of course want to do is to stop the pipeline”, says John Quarterman, with WWALS. “There’s no need for this pipeline. Solar power is what we should be doing.”
FloridaBulldog.org, Dan Christensen, 19 August 2015, You donâ€™t need X-ray vision to see through Gov. Rick Scottâ€™s blind trust (WWALS blog post).
Miami New Times, Tim Elfrink, 17 August 2015, Scott backs environmentally dubious pipeline from firm he invested in (WWALS blog post).
Miami Herald, Dan Christensen, 16 August 2015, Pipeline company with tie to Gov. Scott and state backing, has history of accidents (WWALS blog post) (quoted in Rhode Island story).
Ocala StarBanner, Christopher Curry, 15 August 2015, Georgia-based group hopes to block natural gas pipeline (WWALS blog post).
FloridaBullDog, Dan Christensen, 13 August 2015, Pipeline company with tie to Gov. Scott, and state backing, has history of accidents (WWALS blog post).
FloridaBulldog, Dan Christensen, 4 August 2015, Gov. Scottâ€™s pipeline investment gets a boost from Florida environmental regulators, by Dan Christensen.

DEP says it will issue the permit and easement unless an affected party files a petition seeking an administrative hearing by Friday, August 7. A spokesman for one environmental group, the Georgia-based WWALS Watershed Coalition, said it intends to file a petition by the deadline.
WALB, 14 May 2015, Reed Bingham State Park,

Saturday, the park will host canoe and kayak races.
You can still sign up to take part in the 3rd annual Big Little River Paddle Event by calling (229) 896-3551.
2015-04-26: Tifton Gazette, BIG Little River Paddle Race in Tifton Gazette.
2015-04-03: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, South Georgia pipeline plan fuels fight,

“Atlanta is surrounded by fossil fuel invaders with more pipelines likely in the future,” said John S. Quarterman, a leader of the anti-Sabal Trail campaign in Valdosta. “But there’s no need for any of this now that solar power is cheaper, far cleaner than oil or gas and doesn’t require pipelines, terminals, compressor stations, eminent domain or environmental degradation.”
2015-03-23: Suwannee Democrat, 2 Hamilton County businesses donate prizes for logo contest
2015-03-20: Jasper News, Two Hamilton County businesses donate prizes for logo contest
2015-03-18: Valdosta CEO, South Georgia Talent Won the Alapaha River Water Trail Logo Contest
2015-03-13: Tifton Gazette: Prizes to High School Logo Contest Winners Saturday at Alapaha River Water Trail Conference
2015-03-11: Valdosta CEO: Prizes to High School Logo Contest Winners at Alapaha River Water Trail Conference
2015-02-16: Akron Ohio Beacon-Journal Eco-groups continue fighting natural gas pipelines across Ohio, By Bob Downing.
2015-01-20: Suwannee Democrat: High school student logo contest for Alapaha River Water Trail by WWALS
2015-01-09: Valdosta Daily Times: Valdosta in Moultrie discussing flooding Saturday
2014-12-11: WCTV: Lowndes County and Valdosta City Pass Resolutions against Sabal Trail Pipeline, by Winnie Wright
2014-11-27: WCTV: Sabal Trail on GWC Dirty Dozen: contamination, sinkholes, aquifer, by Winnie Wright
2014-10-14: Jasper News: Pipeline open house draws protesters
2014-08-28: Gainesville Sun: Water and property rights should trump pipeline profits (WWALS op-ed against Sabal Trail pipeline)
2014-08-03: Ocala Star-Banner: Water, property rights over pipeline profits (WWALS op-ed against Sabal Trail pipeline)
2014-08-01: Moultrie Observer: Much opposition (WWALS op-ed against Sabal Trail pipeline)
2014-07-27: Tifton Gazette: WWALS receives Alapaha Water Trali grant
2014-07-21: Valdosta Daily Times: WWALS gets grant from river network
2014-07-10: WALB TV: Sabal Trail pipeline hearing in Leesburg, GA
2014-06-25: Lanier County Advocate: Blueway Trails in South Georgia? by Christopher Lee Graham
2014-06-09: Palm Beach Post: FPL pipeline opponents attending hearing in Georgia Thursday
2014-03-10: Tifton Gazette: Big Little River Paddle Event
2013-12-11: Daily Commercial, Leesburg, FL, Gas pipeline discussed in Groveland,

But one group has already begun to question that. The WWALS Watershed Coalition Inc., an environmental group in Adel, Ga., has sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission opposing the pipeline.

In the letter, the group notes that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined Spectra Energy, one of Sabal Trail’s parent companies, $15 million for spills at 89 sites along another pipeline.

“This pipeline brings only hazards and destruction with no benefits to Georgia, and it is expensive and equally hazardous and destructive to Florida,” Dave Hetzel, the group’s president, wrote.

“There is no excuse for yet another gas pipeline when solar power is already less expensive, doesn’t require a hundred-foot right of way, emits no pollution, doesn’t use massive amounts of water, risks no spills or fires, and provides cheaper electricity and jobs right here in south Georgia and north Florida.

“Profits for fossil fuel companies elsewhere are no reason to violate property rights of local people,” Hetzel added, “or to destroy our local watersheds, or to risk contamination of our aquifer.”
2013-08-21: fox31, Albany, GA, The importance of Watershed conservation
2013-02-13: Ocilla Star: Watershed conservation group raising awareness in south Georgia
2013-01-15: Tifton Gazette: Veteran river conservationist spoke to new WWALS Watershed Coalition