The Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline projec
Locals ask commissioners to follow Hamilton County, pass resolution against Sabal Trail pipeline.
The Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline project remains a great concern for many Suwannee County residents, citing environmental hazards and national economic stress as major downsides. Some residents confronted the Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Tuesday evening, Sept. 16, re-iterating their concerns over the pipeline. A representative from Florida Power and Light (FPL) was also present to provide a counter-argument in support of the pipeline, which, if completed, will provide natural gas to FPL.
The Sabal Trail Transmission, a joint venture of Spectra Energy and NextEra Energy, seeks to construct a 470 mile natural gas pipeline starting in Alabama, passing through Georgia, and ending in Central Florida. If they can work out routing issues, construction could begin as soon as 2016 with the pipeline in operation in 2017.
The pipeline’s prospective route runs through both Hamilton and Suwannee counties, crossing over the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers. However, a geological survey revealed that the pipeline would endanger sensitive water areas both near and downstream of its crossing of the Withlacoochee. Hamilton County commissioners drafted a resolution in August telling Sabal Trail to steer clear of the Withlacoochee.
Now, citizens in Suwannee County are asking our commissioners to follow suit.
Andrea Grover, director, stakeholder outreach of Sabal Trail, told the Democrat Thursday that the company is considering alternative routes in Hamilton and Northern Suwannee County.
“Following our geo-technical evaluations in the area of the proposed Withlacoochee River crossing, taking into consideration stakeholder input from this area, and in coordination with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Sabal Trail is evaluating potential reroutes to avoid crossing at the current location,” said Grover. “These options would eliminate this crossing of the Withlacoochee River. Sabal Trail is in the process of seeking survey permission to review options for an alternative route. Once all the surveys are complete, Sabal Trail will be able to determine its next steps in determining the viability of any route changes. It is important to note that these surveys do involve field work and assessments by geologists with knowledge of the regional terrain including karst. Should Sabal Trail determine that one of the potential reroutes is favorable, it will be recommended to FERC and the other environmental permitting agencies for consideration. FERC is the agency that determines the final pipeline route.”
At the Sept. 2 BOCC meeting, Patricia Tayman urged the Suwannee BOCC to “join Hamilton County in their efforts to become proactive and informed before making decisions about the Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline.”
Chairman Phil Oxendine stated the following in response during the Board members’ opportunity for comment on Sept. 2:
“I have talked to the attorney [Jimmy Prevatt] and I have talked to Mr. [Randy] Harris, to date, about looking into that and checking on what we need to do to perhaps do the same thing that the other counties are doing. So we’re not just sitting down.”
Also at the Sept. 2 meeting, County Administrator Randy Harris stated that he had a copy of Hamilton County’s resolution along with their supporting materials, and would be willing to share that with the board should they desire to do something similar.
At the Sept. 16 meeting of the BOCC, citizens questioned the status of a possible resolution for Suwannee County. Debra Johnson, a Suwannee County resident, brought up an e-mail that she had sent out to county and state officials, including the commissioners. She reminded the board of the possible negative consequences of the pipeline outlined in the e-mail.
“Sabal Trail has proposed four different new routes, all of which come through Suwannee County,” Johnson said. “This pipeline holds no economic benefits for the county, only costs in the event that an accident occurs during construction or operation. We should be looking into alternative sources of energy, like solar, instead.”
When Johnson questioned Oxendine about a resolution for Suwannee County, Oxendine denied his prior statements. Johnson said that there is evidence of his statements in the video recording that is done at every meeting, and Oxendine said that he has since changed his mind about the resolution.
Lori McCraney, another citizen of the county, stood before the BOCC to voice her thoughts on the possible economic and environmental impacts of Sabal Trail.
“The pipeline is unnecessary to meet the needs of Florida,” McCraney said. “The two pre-existing pipelines in Florida already meet our needs. The gas in the Sabal Trail pipeline is supposed to be used by FPL to power utilities. If FPL doesn’t use it, they have the right to sell it. If they export that gas, domestic gas prices will increase. This will slow down manufacturing in the U.S., which will decrease American jobs and have an overall negative economic impact on the country. We have to look at the bigger picture.”
“There’s also plans to build a compressor station for the pipeline here in Suwannee County,” McCraney continued. “The station will need to be cooled with water, and that puts a huge strain on our aquifer systems. Further, the pipelines will need to be cleaned periodically and aquifer water will be used to flush them out, straining and possibly contaminating the aquifers. The aquifers are Florida’s source of drinking water; we have to protect them.”
Dave Kyle, an external manager for FPL from their Lake City offices, spoke up in favor of Sabal Trail.
“There is an economic benefit to the pipelines,” Kyle said. “The tax base will increase. Most importantly, there is an actual need for the pipeline. FPL is growing and our power needs call for additional generating capacity. The pipeline is a more reliable source of natural gas. It is coming from an interior location, unlike the other Florida pipelines which pass through the ocean and are subject to hurricane damage. FPL is also the lowest cost electric company in Florida, and the Sabal Trail pipeline will help us keep it that way.”
“As for the solar energy suggestion, FPL does use some solar power,” Kyle continued. “However, our studies have found that the greatest energy needs are at 6 p.m. in the summer, after the sun has set, and at 6 a.m. in the winter, before the sun has risen. So solar energy, when energy needs are at maximum capacity, is only available 25 percent of the time; gas, at capacity, is available 95 percent of the time.”
The last speaker of the evening on the subject of the Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline was Tayman, who addressed Oxendine’s change of mind since the last time she spoke at the Sept. 2 meeting.
“Do not ever say something for appeasement again,” Tayman said. “You said you would act to protect the land, and that was apparently said to placate me. I don’t think that the board gets the pulse of the people. When it comes down to it, we have to think about our water and our aquifers.”
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