Doug Jackson, 202.495.3045 or doug.jackson@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Yesterday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved Florida Southeast’s planned spur off the Sabal Trail Pipeline to supply a planned fracked gas-burning plant in Okeechobee, FL. Florida Southeast is an affiliate of Florida Power & Light Company.
FERC is the agency tasked with reviewing proposed pipelines to determine if their economic and environmental costs make sense from the perspective of the public. FERC is also charged with analyzing the expected climate change effects of burning the gas transported by pipeline projects, including the degree to which it will exacerbate catastrophic sea level rise in Florida. However, FERC recently voted not to measure those effects, in defiance of a court order.
In response, Sierra Club Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign Director Kelly Martin released the following statement:
"Fracked gas pipelines threaten our health, safety, climate and communities and they are not even necessary for meeting our energy needs. FERC’s role is to protect the public from pipelines that are unnecessary, unsafe, and a threat to our planet, but their approval of the Okeechobee lateral shows they aren’t up to the job. The fact that FERC is a rubber stamp for polluting corporations instead of a watchdog for the public shows why it’s long past time to fix FERC.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.