Category Archives: Sinkhole

Importance of transparency, due diligence, and communication –Michael G. Noll @ LCC 2013-08-27

Received yesterday on VSU professors write to USAF consultant about Moody Family Housing @ LCC 2013-08-27. -jsq

Thanks for posting this John.

One should note that the VDT was absent at the LCBOC meeting on August 13, when the county commissioners approved the rezoning request. This approval came after we presented our concerns and before the period given by AFCEC for public comments in regard to the Environmental Assessment (EA) expired. No mention in the VDT on August 14 about any of it, since no VDT reporter was present.

In regard to the EA and the possibilities to submit comments, it should also be noted that the phone number listed in the public announcement was incorrect. Thus, any attempts to contact Mr. Allen Richmond, the AFCEC representative, with this published phone number were unsuccessful. We eventually received the correct phone number with the help of Moody AFB personnel. While we were able to speak once with Mr. Richmond and establish email contact, his ability (or willingness?) to communicate was limited.

Moreover, we asked Mr. Allen Richmond on August 12 if we Continue reading →

VSU professors write to USAF consultant about Moody Family Housing @ LCC 2013-08-27

Presented to the Lowndes County Commission yesterday by Dr. Noll; video to come. I’ve added a few links and illustrations. -jsq

AFCEC/CZN
2261 Hughes Ave.
Lackland AFB
TX 78236-9853 ATTN: Mr. Allan Richmond

Thursday, August 15, 2013

PUBLIC COMMENT_

RE: Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI), Moody AFB, Georgia

This letter is written in response to the Environmental Assessment (EA) of the proposed Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) northwest of Valdosta, Georgia, on Val Del Road (also referred to as the “Val Del parcel”).

After a careful analysis of the report, we have come to the conclusion that the current EA of the proposed site for military family housing does not address a number of potential issues commonly found in areas of karst topography. Such areas display unique geophysical conditions, including the presence of sinkholes and the potential for future sinkhole formation, as well as geohydrological conditions that need to be studied more carefully and in a larger geographical context than currently given in the EA.

Without a more thorough environmental analysis and planning of the construction phases, the danger exists Continue reading →

Videos: Moody, Moody, acre, water, and SPLOST VII @ LCC 2013-08-13

The big item was a public-private partnership for units to be rented only to military personnel, built on top of the same soil as has a sinkhole next door. They also approved a no-bid contract for a drinking water treatment plant upgrade near the Alapaha River, plus another no-bid contract for Lovell Engineering, for wastewater treatment. And they’re so confident SPLOST VII will be approved by the voters (even though they never held a town hall or public hearing) that staff is going to ask the state to continue collections in January; plus Gretchen pointed out that if citizens knew what was in SPLOST they might be more willing to vote for it. Including maybe even the woman who noted that since garbage trucks are coming down her road it needs to be fixed.

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes, including a few links to related posts.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 12, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Access to information about SPLOST –Gretchen Quarterman @ LCC 2013-08-13

If voters knew what they were voting for with SPLOST VII, maybe they’d be more likely to vote for it, noted Gretchen Quarterman at the 13 August 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

Gretchen Quarterman said she was happy about the work the county had done with the cities to figure out SPLOST VII, but:

Last year we didn’t do a good job in the county about getting the county residents to go and vote for SPLOST so now we’re in this gap. Thank you for figuring out how to fill the gap; if we do that, that’s good.

One of the things that I think would really help us Continue reading →

Ground-penetrating radar and karst topography –Michael Noll @ LCC 2013-08-13

Yes, we can look under the ground at the Moody Family Housing site, and it won’t take very long, said a VSU professor at the 13 August 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

Dr. Michael Noll further answered Commisioner Richard Raines’ previous question as to what Dr. Noll was offering regarding REZ-2013-09 Moody Family Housing by saying VSU does have ground-penetrating radar equipment on campus, and a survey would take only a few weeks. Here’s an example of VSU work using that equipment.

Here’s the video:


Ground-penetrating radar and karst topography –Michael Noll
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 13 August 2013.

-jsq

How big might a sinkhole be? @ LCC 2013-08-13

Viral Internet video of a human-caused sinkhole swallowing a clump of trees whole, in Bayou Corne, Assumption Parish, Louisiana.

>

WCTV posted 22 August 2013, Sinkhole Swallows Trees In Seconds

Assumption Parish, LA – Cameras were rolling just as a sinkhole swallowed a group of trees….

CBS News reports that the sinkhole now covers 25 acres, and is expected to keep growing.

Video from NOLA.com of another tree going in: Continue reading →

Grassy Pond Sinkhole –April Huntley

When I was going down there from 2010-2011 this area of land was roped off with caution tape (not the temporary kind). I was told when they had problems with their piping and had to drain down the pond to fix it, when they refilled it, they did so too fast and caused a sink hole here. I’m not sure what kind of info can be found on it since it is a military installation. Chris says years back he went down there and the docks were sinking, he was told there was a sinkhole in the pond, I think. A couple more pics of the area I saw to follow. I guess it was remediated.

-April Huntley

Continue reading →

Traffic study? –John Page; Who pays? Richard Raines; Tax exemption –Demarcus Marshall @ LCC 2013-08-13

Traffic and taxes were discussed by Commissioners about REZ-2013-09 Moody Family Housing on Val Del Road, but none of them thought those topics important enough to make them conditions, and they didn’t even discuss use of local contractors or sinkholes like the one in the Phase II site, or the missing geotechnical study mentioned in the USAF Draft Environmental Assessment whose comment period wasn’t even ended when they voted at the 13 August 2013 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

Traffic study? --John Page As he had at the previous morning’s Work Session, Commissioner John Page wanted to know if that traffic study was going to be required before the development could start. Planning Commissioner Tommy Willis had also asked about that back in July. This time Page didn’t ask about GA 122 or anywhere other than “Val Del and that area”.

Answer from County Engineer Mike Fletcher: Continue reading →

Karst subsidence beneath a house in Lowndes County –Don Thieme @ LCC 2013-08-13

Received yesterday on Florida sinkholes spreading real estate effects in same Aquifer as under Lowndes County. -jsq

Scanning John — Thank you for pressing forward on this important issue for the airmen and their families at Moody AFB as well as for all citizens of Lowndes County. My colleagues and I are also concerned and hope that we can eventually obtain the Phase I geotechnical study. Of course, we have our own research agendas as well as a desire to see our students working on these problems close to their own university campus. In particular, one of my undergraduate students just completed his thesis on karst subsidence beneath a house in Lowndes County. Here is a link to a poster where he presented those finding to our undergraduate research conference: GPR Investigation of Subsidence.

-Don Thieme

Ground-Penetrating Radar Investigation of Subsidence
in Covered Karst near Valdosta

Benjamin Davis, Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences
Faculty Sponsor: Donald M. Thieme

Abstract

Continue reading →

Florida sinkholes spreading real estate effects in same Aquifer as under Lowndes County

Florida real estate effects of sinkholes in the same Floridan Aquifer that underlies Lowndes County would be worth looking at before rushing to build Moody Housing around a sinkhole on Val Del Road. It’s not just the sinkhole that may widen, it’s housing prices that may drop.

Diana Olick wrote for CNBC 15 August 2013, Overdevelopment widens Florida sinkhole problem,


DAVID MANNING / Reuters
A section of the Summer Bay Resort lies collapsed after a large sinkhole opened on the property’s grounds in Clermont, Fla. on Aug. 12.
Sinkholes may be as old as the earth itself, but the increase in sinkhole activity is new. The rush to reason why has put scientists, engineers and real estate developers at odds.

Some geological experts believe the sinkhole activity is increasing because developers are pumping more water out of the ground for new projects or for agricultural use. While acid in the water itself is what causes the limestone under much of Florida to dissipate and create the holes, the water also acts as a support. Add water from heavy rains on the top soil, and you’ve got a bigger problem.

It is even beginning to weigh on the recovering real estate market in Florida.

Recent sinkholes of note in Lowndes County include: Continue reading →