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 confirms Sabal Trail’s position that it has not threatened to institute proceedings against landowners to acquire proprerty by eminent domain and demonstrates that [Sandra Jones’s] allegations lack any substance,” Connolly wrote to FERC on Monday.
Jones had sent letters to FERC on Nov. 19, contending Sabal Trail had illegally threatened eminent domain against her.
The first letter, dated Sept. 16, 2013, written by Sabal’s Right of Way manager Kitty Maidens, requested permission to enter the land for survey purposes.
“Granting survey permission provides us only access to your property to complete the necessary survey activities,” Maidens wrote. “It does not authorize us to put a pipeline on your land.”
Connolly noted that Jones had declined to mention that in her filing with FERC.
The letter also stated that if the permission had not been granted by Aug. 28, Sabal Trail would enter the property anyway, “as provided for under Georgia statute, O.C.G.A. 22-3-88, to perform the necessary survey activities.””
Adgie, Joe. Valdosta Daily Times 2 December 2014.