Tallahassee holds environmental, regulatory agencies accountable
At the end of January, thousands of citizens from the local Tallahassee area and across the state of Florida gathered around the city to stand, march or take part in social demonstrations that promoted unity, equality and political, environmental awareness.
One movement, on the windy afternoon of January 23, saw environmental activists, local leaders of sustainability, and concerned Florida residents stand together outside the old capitol building in Tallahassee to hold regulatory agencies accountable for the protection and well-being of our natural environment.
The main point of protest throughout the demonstration was the murky situation surrounding the approval of the Southeast Market Pipeline Project (Sabal Trail and Florida Southeast Connection Pipelines) by regulatory agencies such as The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE), and the Florida Department of Environment Protection (FDEP).
While these federal and state-run agencies did issue certificates and permits to allow the construction of the pipelines, many local leaders claim that the authorization was based on a flawed Environmental Impact Statement.
Despite its debated approval by various regulatory agencies, the Sabal Trail Pipeline—a 515.5 mile fracked gas underground pipeline that crosses Alabama, Georgia and Florida—as well as the Florida Southeast Connection Pipeline, both come with a list of potential environmentally-devastating consequences.
Outlined by environmental organizations and local activists, some of the possible repercussions of the proposed pipelines include the destruction or deterioration of the Floridan Aquifer, the Suwannee, Withlacoochee, Santa Fe and Kissimmee Rivers, and North Florida’s complex but fragile system of underwater springs and caves.
“The Floridan Aquifer, which provides drinking water and also touches other states like Alabama and Georgia…if that gets poisoned, gets a leak, is busted somehow, then we’re all going to be affected by that,” said protest member Amanda Hartstein who sported a ‘Stand with Standing Rock’ t-shirt.
The pipeline projects have also been claimed to severely increase the risk of contaminating various fresh water supplies, the risk of sinkholes and other types of dangerous or unwanted erosion.
The sponsors of the event—The Council of the Original Miccosukee Simanolee Nation Aboriginal Peoples. Ancient Trees, ReThink Energy Florida, and several other activist organizations—helped outline these potential problems and used the protest to gain the attention of local, state and even federal leaders.
“Our People have a prophecy about this (pipelines). The prophecy tells us this is one of the last things. They are going to destroy the water, they are going to destroy the air, and the environment, and the human life. That is why we do not want to see Sabal Trail Pipeline happen,” said Bobby C. Billie of the Council of the Original Miccosukee.
The movement saw local Florida residents who have already been affected by the Southeast Market Pipelines Project deliver personal testimonies in opposition to the Sabal Trail and Florida Southeast Connection Pipelines.
Guest speakers such as the director of the Center for Earth Ethics in New York, Karenna Gore, and Shawn Mulford—a facilitator for the Indigenous Elders and Medicine Peoples Council in Arizona—also spoke on behalf of the protest and its mission to stop the construction of the pipeline project.
As Tallahassee continues to establish itself as a hub of social movements and grassroots protests, more and more organizations and demonstrations are taking advantage of the capital city and its proximity to local lawmakers. With each new protest, including Monday’s demonstration to hold regulatory agencies accountable for our environment, organizations and individuals continue to have their message heard and push the envelope of change.
“We can survive without the money and Sabal Trail Pipeline,” said Billie. “But we cannot survive without clean air, clean water, and nature.”