Guest column – Sabal Trail pipeline: listening to the public, moving forward
Published 10:48 am Thursday, July 3, 2014
- Andrea Grover
By Andrea Grover
Spokesperson, Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC Project
After holding more than 50 open houses and public meetings in communities along the pipeline route, and hearing from government officials, public agencies, landowners, community organizations and key stakeholders, the Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline is moving forward.
The Sabal Trail underground pipeline is a 474-mile, open-access natural gas pipeline that will bring additional affordable, clean natural gas supplies to Florida, while increasing the diversity and reliability of the region’s energy delivery system and positively impacting the economy in the Southeast region of the United States, specifically Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
Construction of the pipeline is scheduled to begin in mid-2016, with an in-service date of May 2017. Currently, various re-routes are being evaluated, including those suggested by individual landowners, homeowners associations and other interested parties that participated in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Scoping Meetings, as well as right-of-way agents, environmental team members and engineering design and construction team members. Following the FERC Scoping Meetings, Sabal Trail filed its Draft Resource Reports to the FERC in June 2014. As the project moves forward, Sabal Trail is committed to keeping this line of communication open as we continue to work with landowners, government agencies and community leaders to refine the Sabal Trail project.
As you might imagine, interstate natural gas pipelines are extensively regulated and monitored by federal and state regulatory agencies. FERC is the lead federal agency responsible for pipeline construction, and it is conducting a thorough review of the project, evaluating the need and overall impacts of the construction. The FERC scoping process and the permitting processes of other federal and state agencies provides the public with multiple opportunities to comment on the proposed pipeline project.
It is also important to note that because the pipeline is an interstate line, it will be regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Pipeline Safety. The Sabal Trail pipeline will be constructed and operated to meet or exceed all federal safety requirements and regulations. The project will utilize both tried-and-true methods, as well as the latest proven technologies, and it will be monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Once complete, it will be one of the safest natural gas pipelines in North America.
In addition to safety, minimizing the impact on the environment is a top priority of ours, and an extensive environmental review is being conducted to ensure that environmental impacts are minimal. FERC is evaluating environmental impacts and will summarize its findings in either an Environmental Assessment or an Environmental Impact Statement. This report will not only consider the local wildlife and their habitat, but will stretch beyond that and examine all potential impacts on important geographic features, including the Withlacoochee River, Santa Fe River, springs, sinkholes and karst terrain. FERC’s final determinations on the project will be based on this environmental analysis.
The construction of the natural gas pipeline can also have a significant economic impact for the state and the counties along the pipeline route. In addition to the immediate impact of construction jobs and the economic activity associated with a large construction project, the pipeline will also generate considerable tax revenue in each county it crosses and permanent jobs in operations and monitoring offices. As an open-access pipeline, it is possible for future economic development to occur along the entire pipeline path, with natural gas supplying the project’s energy needs.
Building Sabal Trail is a long process. We look forward to becoming a part of the community, and we encourage all stakeholders to join us as we ensure the safety of the project and work to minimize the impact on landowners, communities and the environment.
