The forum on Sabal Trail and LNG took place today with a large informed crowd who passionately opposed the risks to our environment posed by Sabal Trail and the transportation of LNG through our neighborhoods.
Whitey Markel Sierra Club C. Evan Emergency Management Janet Barrow
Speakers were Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson Campaign Organizer for Sierra Club, from Fort White, and Cecile Scofield of Palm City. These two make a great team and the two hours allotted them were jam-packed with information regarding these two issues.
Harriet Heywood, Maxine Connor
The information they gave out should be heard by all citizens of Florida, and also by FERC, the Army Corps of Engineers, our water management boards, our Secretary of Environmental Protection, our Legislature and our governor. We have indications that the FERC representatives did not even read the flawed Environmental Impact Study submitted by Sabal Trail before giving their approval.
It seems Sabal Trail was quite successful in their low key posture, as only now so many people are waking up and realizing what is happening, and what has been going on for nearly four years. The pipe is going in the ground, holes are being bored under our rivers and ruptures are occurring in our fragile karst. People are protesting and being arrested on public roads for opposing the pipe, gopher tortoises are being buried alive, otters killed, and land is being wrested from citizens, against their will.
Sabal Trail has been an example of how politics and greed, fostered and backed by our corrupt and inept government agencies will have their way with the resources and people of our state.
Aside from the environmental damage associated with the unneeded pipeline, CeCe Scofield presented a great deal of information regarding the characteristics and dangers of the product the pipe will contain. She explained the differences between liquid petroleum gas, liquified natural gas, and compressed natural gas. Transportation by rail of LNG is something relatively new and very risky. The close proximity of the transiting LNG to schools, hospitals and heavily populated areas makes this simply an accident waiting to happen. Many concerns were expressed to emergency management representative C. Evan, who fielded questions regarding the abilities of communities to deal with a catastrophe.
Sabal Trail has legally protected themselves from accountability in case of a catastrophe. When it happens it will be inadvertent which will result in only limited responsibility to them, and the taxpayer will clean it up. Spectra Energy has one of the worst safety records of all energy companies in the U.S.
Maxine, CeCe and Merrillee
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-
