Florida Pipeline Protests Grow as Construction Continues
Posted February 2, 2017 03:30 am | Public News Service
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OAK, FL – As a small group holds vigil near the Suwannee
River in north Florida, a growing chorus of voices
across the state and online is speaking out against the
proposed Sabal Trail Pipeline.
Plans call for the 515-mile natural gas pipeline to
tunnel under forests, wetlands, ranches, and several
bodies of water.
It would also sit above the Floridan Aquifer, the
primary source of drinking water for millions of
people.
The energy companies behind the project say it will
bring affordable natural gas and jobs to the area.
But John Quarterman, president of WWALS Watershed
Coalition, Suwannee Riverkeeper, one of the groups
opposing the pipeline, maintains there is a much better
option.
"Solar power is now cheaper than any other source of
power, does not require eminent domain, taking people's
land," he states. "Does not require any water for
testing, cooling or anything like that. "
The consortium behind the project insists safety
measures are in place, but Quarterman says his group and
others have turned up numerous locations where drilling
has already resulted in sinkholes.
Earlier this month, eight pipeline protesters were
arrested near Live Oak, and the #StopSabalTrail began
trending on social media.
Last week, President Donald Trump signed executive
orders reviving the Keystone XL and Dakota Access
pipelines, citing in part their economic impact.
But Quarterman argues there's much more job-creating
potential in clean energy, particularly for states like
Florida.
"Any president who's concerned about energy independence
or the economy of this country ought to get off of
pipelines and get us on to solar power and wind power,
as quickly as possible," he stresses.
Work on the Sabal Trail Pipeline began last year and is
expected to wrap up this summer, despite numerous legal
attempts to block it.
Image, layout, and links added by the Observer; Photo:
WWals Watershed Coalition
This piece was reprinted by the Columbia County
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