Dear editor:

After holding more than 50 open houses and public meetings in communities along the pipeline route, and hundreds of meetings with 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 Alabama, Georgia and Florida, 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.

Should the project be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), construction of the pipeline is scheduled to begin in mid-2016, with service scheduled to begin in May of 2017.  Currently, survey access has been obtained for approximately 95 percent of the main pipeline path.  Various re-routes are being evaluated including those suggested by individual landowners, homeowners associations, and other interested parties, as well as right-of-way agents, environmental, engineering design and construction team members.   And, Sabal Trail is continuing 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.  And, it will also 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; and it will be monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Once complete, it will be one of the safest natural gas pipelines in North America.

Sabal Trail also works closely with local, state and federal agencies to ensure our pipelines meet or exceed regulatory requirements for safety.  This includes periodic meetings with local emergency response personnel for emergency drills to test staff readiness and to identify opportunities to improve pipeline safety.  We also communicate regularly with members of the public who live or work near our pipelines by mailing informational brochures to homeowners, businesses, potential excavators and public officials to inform them of the presence of the pipeline and instruct them on how to recognize and react to unusual activity in the area.

Natural gas is the cleanest of all conventional fuels.  It produces 45% less carbon dioxide than coal and 30% less than fuel oil.  As a result, it is increasingly being used more for electrical generation and other uses.  Using natural gas to replace coal and fuel oil will reduce the carbon dioxide in our air by six million tons a year, which will help us all breathe easier. Building Sabal Trail is a long process.  This allows all stakeholders to have a voice in the development of the project and to ensure that the project is done safely and has minimal impact on landowners, communities and the environment.   And, we are committed to becoming a vital economic and community partner in the communities we are joining. To learn more, visit www.SabalTrail.com.

 Andrea Grover, Director, Stakeholder Outreach, Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC