Spectra backtracks on eminent domain in VDT

Sabal Trail tries to teach us how to read, plus redefining centuries of common law.

Joe Adgie wrote for the VDT today 3 December 2014, Sabal Trail: Accusations ‘lack any substance’,

Two representatives with Sabal Trail Transmission disputed complaints from property owners in correspondence with The Valdosta Daily Times and with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Lisa Connolly, general manager of rates and certificates for Sabal Trail, said that letters sent to property owners should be read in a different light than was presented.

“A fair reading of these letters Continue reading →

Moultrie wasn’t asked about MGAG gas from Sabal Trail –WCTV

Spectra starts trying to walk back its previous eminent domain statements, as WCTV reveals MGAG didn’t ask Moultrie before saying Colquitt County needed gas from Sabal Trail, and even MGAG says that deal wouldn’t (yet) affect eminent domain.

Picking up where the VDT left the MGAG Sabal Trail gas eminent domain story, Winnie Wright waved the bloody letter on WCTV yesterday 2 December 2014, New Sabal Trail Project Has Many South Georgia Residents Worried About Eminent Domain, and after quoting the eminent domain threat from that Sabal Trail attorney letter, said: Continue reading →

Rezoning and Budget @ Lake Park 2014-12-02

I wonder what they’re amending in the 2014 budget and what’s in the 2015 budget? Rezoning LP-2014-10-20 was previously heard at the Planning Commission 24 November 2014, which unanimously recommended approval. Plus this is local elected body that hears citizens’ concerns not once but twice.

Thanks to Tabatha Fowler for the agenda.

120 North Essa Street, Lake Park, Georgia 31636
A G E N D A
LAKE PARK CITY COUNCIL
DECEMBER 2, 2014
7:30 PM
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World AIDS Day at VSU

VSU’s page on this luncheon speaker event says: “Behind the Masks: Telling the Truth and Creating Healing”

HIV disease continues to be an issue where shame and hiding lead to individuals remaining unaware of their status and not taking advantage of life-saving treatment. Creating a climate in communities and in health care where consumers feel valued and accepted is the opportunity to health and healing.

Jim Sacco, M.S.W. is Continue reading →

Roads and bicycles @ ZBOA 2014-12-02

Lot width on Bemiss Road and sidewalk and bicycle requirements on Inner Perimeter Road at ZBOA, tomorrow, 2:30 PM 2 December 2014.

Here’s the agenda. The City of Valdosta puts ZBOA agendas and minutes online in real PDFs.

Valdosta -Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals
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Bloomberg notices solar now cheaper than all other forms of energy

What Jon Wellinghoff predicted a year ago is starting to filter into the news media: solar is going to win, and very quickly. Welcome to a sunny world!

Tom Randall, Bloomberg, 29 October 2014, While You Were Getting Worked Up Over Oil Prices, This Just Happened to Solar,

After years of struggling against cheap natural gas prices and variable subsidies, solar electricity is on track Continue reading →

OPEC v. fracking: Russia to win, U.S. LNG export to lose

OPEC just pushed down oil and gas prices, and the main beneficiary will be Russia. U.S. and other sanctions to punish Russia for invading Ukraine already pushed the ruble down, which makes Russian fracking less exposed to this price drop. Natural gas prices are falling with oil prices. So a big winner could be Siberian natural gas fracking for China. Which could nip U.S. LNG exports at their budding export terminals. Since LNG export is the most profitable market for fracked methane, the pipeline craze could go bust. And that could help the U.S. get on with cheaper, faster, safer, and far cleaner solar power.

Will Kennedy and Jillian Ward, Bloomberg, 27 November 2014, OPEC Policy Ensures U.S. Shale Crash, Russian Tycoon Says, Continue reading →

Sabal Trail uses VDT to threaten eminent domain

Andrea Grover’s response to being caught by the VDT actually knowing about Sabal Trail threats of eminent domain after she said were “hard to believe” is… to use the VDT to threaten eminent domain!

The example the VDT quoted Wednesday of an eminent domain threatening letter from Sabal Trail’s Atlanta law firm was dated 26 November 2013. Yet a year later, today, 28 November 2014, Joe Adgie in Sabal Trail to install taps in Georgia quotes Ms. Grover in the VDT: Continue reading →

Sabal Trail disappointed in GWC Dirty Dozen; locals disappointed in Sabal Trail –WCTV

Spectra’s Andrea Grover is “disappointed” in Sabal Trail being on the Georgia Water Coalition Dirty Dozen; does she also find it “hard to believe” like Sabal Trail’s well-documented eminent domain threats?

Winnie Wright, WCTV, 26 November 2014, Sabal Trail Pipeline Environmental Concerns Cited In Annual ‘Dirty Dozen’ Report,

Recently, The Georgia Water Coalition put the Sabal Trail Pipeline on their Dirty Dozen Report for 2014.

You can see Cherry Creek sinkhole behind her as she reported. She was navigated there by VSU professor Can Denizman.

She also interviewed several locals, including me at the Withlacoochee River.

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Videos: Lost Maps, New Vice, Lake Park R-P, Lowndes County C-G, Valdosta R-M @ GLPC 2014-11-24

Complete agenda? Maps? Election process? Calendar? But few people were there to notice these things missing.

At the Work Session we had all maps and things to show you, but between then and now the digital copies have vanished off of both laptops. And we are sort of at a loss as to where they went but they’re gone. So if you’ll use the maps that are in your packet and perhaps some memory from the Work Session discussion….

That’s right, staff lost the digital copies of an agenda item, CU-2014-11 Normal Life of Georgia. Board packets on the county’s website would serve as a backup for copies on planners’ laptops.

Gretchen, who was there, reports further below, including a note about that charming young white man recently appointed to the Planning Commission. -jsq

At a brief and poorly attended GLPC meeting, Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange