Sabal Trail meeting leaves questions unanswered

Published 5:59 am Wednesday, December 18, 2013

On Monday night at Clyattville Elementary School, Sabal Trail hosted a mandatory open house, required by the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC), to discuss the proposed natural gas pipeline project from Alabama, through Georgia, into Florida. The pipeline will cross through Colquitt, Brooks and Lowndes counties, and the company is required to hold open houses for each community.

Approximately 25 representatives from Sabal Trail and two  FERC representatives were present at the open house, while 100 to 200 Brooks and Lowndes County residents came and went throughout the evening.

Susan Waller, vice president of Sabal Trail’s stakeholder outreach and sustainability program, said the company has surveyed roughly 90 percent of Lowndes County, and is working with the other 10 percent.

“I want stakeholders to talk to us. They have to ask the questions so we can answer them,” Waller said. “Keep talking. Don’t shut down.”

For the areas where the surveys have been completed, the original 600 foot survey corridor has narrowed to a 300 foot corridor.

Sabal Trail’s Regional Director of State Government Affairs Brian Fahrenthold said the reason Florida Power and Light requested this pipeline is because FPL is converting some of their coal powered plants to natural gas power plants and expanding.

The Outreach Manager for FERC’s Division of Gas-Environment and Engineering Douglas Sipe was present to let residents know of FERC’s standards for the construction of natural gas pipelines. Sipe said thus far, the Sabal Trail Transmission has abided by all of FERC’s regulations, but it is still early in the process.

On Oct. 16, Sabal Trail hosted a voluntary open house at Wiregrass Technical College to inform residents of their proposed 465-mile interstate pipeline project which will be able to transport more than 1 billion cubic feet per day, through a 36-inch pipeline.

The pipeline begins in Tallapoosa County, Ala., extending through Georgia, and ending at Florida Power & Light’s Central Florida Hub near Orlando.

The formats for both the Wiregrass and Clyattville meetings were perceived by area residents as unfriendly and intimidating.

“It’s the same set up as the meeting at Wiregrass,” said affected landowner Carol Singletary. “I am disappointed.”

Brooks County landowner, Tracy Ryder, said the hardest part about the layout of the meeting was that residents had to come with the right questions to ask because Sabal Trail did not easily provide the information.

“Overall, the meeting has good presentations, but not good information. It seems to be designed to win admiration without providing value. Some of the representatives have been courteous, but they aren’t straightforward with residents,” said James Ryder. “After this meeting, I feel kind of let down. I didn’t get the information that I wanted.”

Many residents expressed concern about safety issues, property values, paying property taxes on land that cannot be developed, reselling their property, and proper compensation for the use of their land.