Coral Gables to study impact of proposed power lines

A story in the Miami Herald says Coral Gables city leaders are following the lead of nearby communities in looking more closely at FPL's proposed route along US-1 of 230-KV high voltage electric transmission lines, hoping to assess the impact on residents and schoolchildren of the projected power lines.

According to the article by staff writer Elaine de Valle, which appeared in the zoned Neighbors section for Coral Gables and South Miami:

Acting on the concerns of residents in the city and nearby communities, leaders in Coral Gables want to find out the impact of controversial proposed new power lines that could traverse part of the city as part of Florida Power & Light's expansion project.

City Manager Pat Salerno got approval from the City Commission to hire a consultant to analyze the impact the new lines proposed along U.S. 1 will have on nearby residents.

Salerno told the newspaper that Coral Gables does not expect to receive details from FPL until June, when the utility expects to file its application for construction in the Gables.

"It's really for us to be prepared so that, once we've received the package of information from FPL, that we don't just have to take FPL's word for it that there will be no negative impact on the residents,'' the manager said. ``We want to have an independent way to validate what they are telling us.''

Read the full Herald story online, here.

FPL gets key Miami-Dade approval for Turkey Point rock-ming project, despite opposition

Persistent lobbying efforts at the Miami-Dade County over the years paid off for FPL yesterday, as the Miami-Dade County Planning Advisory Board in a 5-3 vote approved an FPL land-use change request that would allow rock-pit mining in the south of the county -- despite strong opposition from environmentalists, farmers, Biscayne National Park and the U.S. Air Force.

The Miami Herald reported today on the approval by the board that sent to the County Commission for its approval or rejection next month a plan by FPL to rock mine near Biscayne Bay in order to provide landfill for the two new Turkey Point 6 & 7 nuclear reactors planned for the power plant.

Red the full Herald story online, here.

Miami-Dade County to hear pros, cons of Turkey Point landfill plans

Front page story this morning in the Miami Herald outlines what's at stake today in the hearing before Miami-Dade Planning Advisory Board for a permit to allow rock mining for landfill purposes related top construction of new Turkey Point nuclear reactors 6 & 7.

According to the story, FPL canals criticized as health risk, by Herald staff writer Curtis Morgan:

Environmental groups, backed by Biscayne National Park, will ask Miami-Dade's Planning Advisory Board on Monday to reject a request key to its Turkey Point plan. The land-use change would clear the way for FPL to dig rock pits in up to 880 acres of nearby farmland as a source of limestone fill for future construction.

The story goes on to say that:

... spiking chloride -- a measure of salt -- in monitoring wells west of FPL's site, and new aerial electromagnetic assessment techniques used by the U.S. Geological Survey, suggest South Miami-Dade's salt concerns are the most serious in South Florida. Salt fronts typically ebb and flow, but preliminary data suggest the salt is moving inland yearly in spots.

Read the Herald story in full online, here.

Turkey Point NRC hearing: residents, environmentalists, workers voice concerns

Two very interesting pieces over the weekend at the Miami Herald on the Turkey Point hearing in Homestead on Thursday evening with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission:

On Friday, Herald staff writer John Dorschner framed the public hearing in terms of a debate between representatives of some fairly heavy-hitting environmentalist groups, concerned over salt water contamination of the fresh water aquifer underlying Miami-Dade county and damage to Biscayen National Park, versus workers concerned with jobs, jobs, jobs ... who were (surprise!) in favor of the expansion of nuclear units at Turkey Point.

Dorschner's story is online at: Residents get their say on FPL plans for new Turkey Point reactors.

On Sunday, Neighbors section reporter Tania Valderomo reported on the same meeting in the zoned Pinecrest/Bays edition of the paper, focused more on the local residents' concerns about the impact of Turkey Point expansion:

The question on everyone's mind Thursday is how two new nuclear reactors would affect their lives -- from safety at the proposed nuclear power plants to storing nuclear waste to water sources. Residents also wanted to know the effect of the reactors on wildlife and vegetation at neighboring Biscayne National Park.

Valderomo's story can be read online at: Feds start discussion on more nuclear facilities in South Miami-Dade.

Two Turkey Point meetings with NRC on Thursday

Two Turkey Point hearings are set for tomorrow, Thursday April 23rd, with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commisssion.

The first is a meeting for local elected officials "to discuss the role that the NRC will play in the anticipated review of the Florida Power and Light company (FP&L) application for a combined license for the proposed Turkey Point Units 6 and 7."

Local Elected Officials NRC meeting
April 23, 2009 from 1 PM to 2:30 PM
Keys Gate Golf & Country Club Palm Room
2300 SE Palm Drive (SW 344 St), Homestead

The second meeting is from 7 to 8:30 pm Thursday night for the general public, at which NRC staff will provide information on the licensing process for FPL's request for the new reactors at Turkey Point and address concerns about the existing facility.

General Public NRC meeting
April 23, 2009 from 7 PM to 8:30 PM
Keys Gate Golf & Country Club Palm Room
2300 SE Palm Drive (SW 344 St), Homestead

Anyone interested at all in FPL's nuclear power expansion in Miami-Dade and in our State should turn out for this public meeting. And, don't hesitate to let your local officials know what you think about this important issue!

Coconut Grove FPL Committee Update at Village Council Meeting

Hat tip to West Grove Political Beat blogger Stephen Murray for this item.

Seems tonight (April 16) is the Coconut Grove Village Council meeting at City Hall and on the agenda is "an update on the Florida Power and Light Committee" ...

The FPL Committee is headed by Harlene Kennedy and is trying to prevent high voltage, above-ground lines from being installed in the Grove. An ideal situation for our safety during a hurricane would be for FPL to install the cables underground.

The meeting is televised locally in the Grove on cable Channel 77 and streamed online at http://videos.miamigov.com.

FPL prominent in Eye On Miami roundup on 'Environmental Issues We Are Facing'

Genius of Despair gives a nice (well, frightening, really!) roundup today at Eye on Miami of the pressing environmental issues facing all who live in Miami-Dade.

FPL related exigencies noted, include numbers 1, 2 and 6, which we've taken the liberty of reprinting here:

1. Nuclear and Coal Technologies Need to be Removed from the Renewable Portfolio:
These two technologies will take away funding for development of real renewable energy sources like solar and wind. This week there were important State Senate Committee Hearings on SB 1154 and it will be important to be vocal on this issue.

2. Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve:
At least $10 million for water managers to buy endangered Biscayne Bay wetland is gone, and more than $140,000 has been slashed from the Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas program. As Laura Reynolds (Tropical Audubon) sees it, Biscayne National Park's fragile ecosystem is suffering a slow "death by a thousand cuts." (Hit read more).

Without management, the Bay will degrade. For example boat propeller scarring in shallow sea grass areas of the bay is a problem in the preserve. Boaters disregard markers and just plough through the flats. Eventually, these scars erode and become trenches. For history buffs, who could forget the FP&L debacle of the 1960’s, when hot water was dumped into Biscayne Bay by the Company from their nuclear reactors. Large areas of sea grass and masses of marine organisms – both plants and animals – were killed.

Action: Press county and state officials to protect the bay and South Miami-Dade's fresh water supply.

6. Rock Mining Near Biscayne National Park:
Turkey Point Nuclear Power plant needs to raise the grade to expand and build two more reactors. They need enormous amounts of fill and it is feared that they will excavate near the park, causing saltwater intrusion and endangering our water supply. Also Cemex had a permit application last year to mine 26 million cubic yards on 200 acres very close to the park, at Florida City Quarry. Rock mining near Biscayne National Park will seriously affect water quality in the Park. This is one obvious problem. There is no doubt that marine life in the park will be detrimentally impacted, counter to the Park’s Management Plan.

Do check out the full post: Rundown of Environmental Issues We Are Facing. And be sure to follow Genius's counsel to "write to the Governor about all these issues. Express your concern for the future of the environment in Florida."

South Miami proposes FPL power line alternatives

The Miami Herald reported in its Gables/S. Miami neighbors section Sunday the vote by South Miami Commissioners last week to oppose FPL high-voltage transmission lines coming through their community and propose alternate routes further West.

Commissioners also voted to support bills in the Florida House and Senate that would give communities more power in dealing with utilites over selection of power-line routes.

The vote came nearly two weeks after FPL announced it had selected a preferred route for the Turkey Point 6 & 7 Transmission Lines project that would run the 230-KV high-voltage lines supplying electric power from the yet-to-be-built Turkey Point nuclear reactors 6 & 7 right down Highway US-1, through Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Coral Gables and Coconut Grove.

Read the full Herald story online, here.

It's official! FPL selects US1 corridor for high-voltage transmission line

Of course everyone knew this would be the case: FPL has announced that it has selected US 1 as the route for the Turkey Point 6 & 7 Transmission Line project, running 100-foot towers carrying 230-KV high-voltage lines from Palmetto Bay, through Pinecrest, South Miami and Coconut Grove.

The Village of Pinecrest posted a copy of the official FPL letter and accompanying map, here.

Now, the ball is in the court of the local communities to see whether or not they are going to stand and fight or cave in to FPL's pre-determined route right through their business and residential districts.

Grove Village Council, South Miami Commission (again) considering FPL Transmission Lines

The Miami Herald reported online Saturday that the Coconut Grove Village Council has set up a committee to look at FPL related issues, including "burying overhead power lines underground to preventing power outages to finding out if the utility has plans to install new high-voltage transmission lines within Coconut Grove or nearby."

Meanwhile, the South Miami City Commission has posted two FPL-related agenda items for its meeting tomorrow night "opposing the proposed routes along the Ludlum Trail or along US Highway 1, for the FPL Transmission Line" and also "supporting House Bill 1315 and Senate Bill 2644 relating to construction of electrical transmission lines."

The Herald story gives a preview of how FPL will seek to divide communities along US 1, telling them that because the proposed high-voltage power lines would be on the West side of US 1 it would not actually impact Coconut Grove, Pinecrest or Palmetto Bay.

According to the Herald report:

When asked if FPL has plans to install the transmission lines within the boundaries of the Grove, [FPL spokesman Mayco] Villafaña said, "None of the potential routes identified by FPL and discussed with customers and elected officials has an impact on those areas described by you as the Grove." He added: "One of the potential routes would use the Metrorail corridor, along U.S. 1, but lies outside of the Grove boundaries."

In Coral Gables, without the citizenry noting much of a difference, the existing 60-foot distribution lines running along Ponce de Leon parallel to US 1 and ajacent to the Metrorail could be increased in height another 20 or 40 feet to become high-voltage transmission lines.

That leaves South Miami as virtually the only city along US 1 that would be split right down the middle by the proposed high voltage lines.

FPL will clearly have its way with the US 1 route if the other communities are gullible enough to fall for the FPL argument -- that they are not negatively impacted because the 230-KV high-voltage lines would run on the West side of US 1, just 50 feet outside their boundary lines.

More on FPL no-show at Turkey Point meeting: Miami Herald

The Miami Herald ran a story Sunday in it's Pinecrest-Bays neighbors section on FPL's "no show" at last Thursday's public meeting in Cutler Bay, convened by Miami-Dade Commissioner Katy Sorensen.

The Herald confirmed Stop FPL's assessment that it was a "standing room only" crowd -- WPLG-Local 10 TV's undercount of 50 a real disservice to the amount of concern and level of mobilization by residents and civic leaders in neighboring communities clearly evident at the meeting.

Curious that the Herald continues to choose to place all news related to citizen concern over Turkey Point and the related transmission lines that would run through multiple south Miami-Dade communities in the limited circulation, zoned "Neighbors" sections of the paper.

Community news does generate greater interest mong readers these days, but many people still read the paper in the print edition and therefore anybody not in the Pinecrest/Bays circulation area would have missed this story. You would think that because this story touches so many communities, the Herald editors would go ahead and place it in the "Metro" section of the paper.

But, lots of strains on the Herald newsroom these days, so who knows what's driving their coverage decisions. At least they covered it ...

Read the story in full online, here.

Turkey Points ... new artist's graphic from the creators of "When the Turkey Points at You!"

This just in from the creators of When the Turkey Points at You!

Hmmmm ... what's that Turkey blowin' out it's tailfeathers? And, is that FPL in the Caterpillar trying to 'doze public opposition?

We'll add this one to our list of Stop FPL Favorite Cartoons ...

p.s. something strange happened to the original colors in the upload ... will try to figure it out and repost if we do!

Sorensen tells FPL: Address Turkey Point concerns

In a letter to the Miami Herald this morning, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorensen (District 8) said that FPL officials "prefer not to attend" tonight's scheduled meeting to discuss safety concerns involving the nuclear reactor at the Turkey Point power generating station.

Follows is the text of Commissioner Sorensen's letter, as published in the Herald:

After reading the disturbing story on the front page of The Miami Herald (Papers reveal nuclear discord, March 12) regarding the safety and performance of the Turkey Point nuclear reactor and receiving several calls from residents, I decided to organize a meeting so that elected officials and residents could openly discuss these concerns and FPL officials could address them. While the power company officials are willing to respond through letters to the editor to the concerns raised, they have made it clear to me that they would prefer not to attend the meeting I have scheduled.

As FPL seeks to expand its nuclear facilities and raise customer rates to support this work, I believe it is incumbent on the company, a utility that serves almost all Miami-Dade County residents, to be responsive to questions and concerns.

I hope that FPL officials do the right thing and attend the meeting at the South Dade Government Center tonight, March 26, at 6:30 p.m.

KATY SORENSON, county commissioner, District 8, Miami

We, too, hope FPL will do the right thing and attend this meeting to explain to citizens and residents what it is doing to improve the safety and security at Turkey Point, especially in the face of plans to add two more reactors 6 & 7 at great expense to its customers in the coming years.

ONLINE PETITION: STOP FPL's TURKEY POINT 6 & 7 NUCLEAR REACTORS NOW

Here's your chance to tell your elected and appointed local, state and federal officials that you do NOT want FPL's Turkey Point reactors 6 & 7 to be licensed and built ...

Click here to sign the online petition now ...

WE THE UNDERSIGNED CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS OF FLORIDA AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY EXPRESS OUR COMPLETE OPPOSITION TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF TWO NEW NUCLEAR REACTOR UNITS 6 & 7 AT THE TURKEY POINT POWER PLANT AND ON THE BASIS OF ... SAFETY, SECURITY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC RATIONALE DO CALL ON ALL LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS AND AGENCIES TO DENY THE TURKEY POINT LICENSE HOLDER -- FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT -- THE ABILITY TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE THESE ADDITIONAL NUCLEAR UNITS AT TURKEY POINT.

Click to sign the petition online now at ipetitions.com ...

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/TurkeyPoint/

Nuclear Regulatory Commission to hold Turkey Point 6 & 7 hearing in Homestead in April

Miami-Dade County residents will have a chance to speak their mind at the public meeting convened by County Commissioner Katy Sorensen this Thursday, March 26th at 6:30 PM at the South Miami-Dade Government Center, 10710 SW 211 Street, Room 203, Cutler Bay.

But, that won't be the end of it ... EyeOnMiami has informed that there will be an additional opportunity for the public to participate in a discussion of the role of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission "in eventual review of FP&L's application for Turkey Point Unit 6 & 7 combined license including details of safety and environmental reviews."

That meeting will take place from 6-9pm on Thursday April 23rd in the "Palm Room" of the Keys Gate Golf Club, located at 2300 Palm Drive, Homestead, FL.

This is a potentially VERY important meeting, given the fact that a three-judge panel of the NRC recently put on hold plans to build two new nuclear reactors at a Georgia plant, ruling that the application to build the reactors was incomplete because it had not taken into adequate consideration management of radioactive nuclear waste when the new reactors begin operation.

According to a notice in the NRC's public meeting schedule, participating on behalf of the NRC will be representatives of their Office of New Reactors, from the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, Region II. The general public is also invited to participate.

Florida growth least in 60 years ... so why all the electricity, why two new nukes, why now?

Alan Farago raises a very cogent point in his contribution last week to Counter Punch, titled "The Recession, the Developers and Baseball ..."

In the halls of government in cities like Miami, where the jackhammers and cranes and cement trucks have all gone quiet, there is a palpable sense of nostalgia, broken only by hope for a new $500 million stadium or, as Florida Power and Light would have it, two new nuclear reactors costing $18 billion at least ...

Whoa! Stop right there ...

And follow with today's report from the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research showing that annual population growth in our State has now slowed to a trickle of what it was from 2000-2006:

With South Florida counties particularly hard hit, the state is expected to add an average of only 37,000 residents each year between 2008 and 2010, a drop of more than 90 percent from the annual average increase during the housing boom years of 2002 to 2006, said Stan Smith, director of UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research who led the research. The new report shows county population projections from 2008 to 2035.

Broward and Palm Beach Counties are even expected to lose population during the next two years. Stan Smith, director of UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, said that as a result of the recession in Florida ...

As economic growth slowed and the housing market cooled, annual population growth declined from an average of 395,000 between 2000 and 2006 to 331,000 between 2006 and 2007 and 127,000 in 2007 and 2008 ...

Not since the 1940s will Florida's population growth have been this slow -- that's right, the slowest population growth in 60 years!

So, why ... tell us why does FPL need to build and charge its customers at a cost of no less than $18 billion the two new nuclear reactors 6 &7 at the Turkey Point power station?!?

Coconut Grove activists to question FPL plans for high-voltage lines down US1

Coconut Grove activists have joined to question FPL's proposed US1 route for the Turkey Point 6 & 7 Transmission Lines project, carrying high-voltage electricity on 100-foot concrete towers along South Dixie Highway from Cutler Bay into downtown Miami.

According to a blog post over the weekend at Coconut Grove Grapevine, local Grove activist Harlene Kennedy has joined with Village Council member Alyn Pruett to form a local committee "to talk about FPL issues like burying powerlines and the new FPL high voltage lines."

The Grove committee will be attending the March 26 town hall meeting hosted by County Commissioner Katy Sorensen to discuss Turkey Point safety lapses and related issues at the South Dade Government Center 10710 SW 211 St, Cutler Bay (6:30 pm).

Coconut Grove Grapevine generously volunteers to put interested parties in touch with the Grove activists, here.

And, in a separate post at the Grapevine, you just gotta love this contributed cartoon by Harry Emilio Gottlieb ...

Herald: Divisions among South Miami commissioners prevented unified opposition against FPL

As the Herald reported on Sunday, the failure of the South Miami City commission to pass either of two resolutions at it's meeting last Tuesday means that "residents opposed to adding planned power lines to South Miami will have to wait until next month for their political leaders to voice their opposition."

Nothing new from what we'd already reported at Stop FPL. Except that the paradox of Mayor Feliu voting against his own resolution escaped us!

The Herald's reporting of this story as a kind of factional spat between Commissioners, however, is a real simplification of what actually occurred ... which appears to have been an orchestrated effort by Feliu and Commissioner Beckman to derail a timely resolution that would immediately put South Miami on record in opposition to the proposed routes of the Turkey Point 6 & 7 Transmission Lines project.

Earth First! Roadshow in South Florida this weekend: March 20 - Miami / March 21 - Jupiter / March 22 - Lake Worth

This just in from Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition, which has been on the front lines -- literally -- in the fight against FPL over the West County Energy Center and Barley Barber swamp, and has done some absolutely great demonstrations in front of the FPL headquarters in Juno ...

EARTH FIRST! ROADSHOW IN SOUTH FLORIDA THIS WEEKEND ...

3/20, Miami, FL
8:00pm Black Mangrove Collective
This event will include a presentation from Max Rameau of Take Back the Land
Location: 138 NW 37th Street, Miami
www.theblackmangrove.com

3/21, Jupiter FL,
Earth First! Benefit Show at Adam Barksdale’s place, with 14 bands, show starts at 4pm, EF! Roadshow will be tabling at event, doing our puppet show at 4pm and slideshow presentation at 7pm… donation $5-10
Location: 13926 157th Ct N, Jupiter Fl, 33478
For more details: www.earthfirstroadshow.wordpress.com

These two events on Friday and Saturday will be followed on Sunday with ...

Sunday March 22 at 7pm
Benefit Dinner and Theater at the Canew (collective house in LW)
822 North C Street, Lake Worth

Join us for a local foods dinner, activist theater and direct action slide show to benefit a great cause; the local Earth First! direct action movement and touring roadshow!

Making the connections between local sustainability and environmental action:
* local foods dinner - direct from our bountiful backyard garden
* tour of the garden, bee-hives, home-made solar panel and water systems
* exciting puppet theater & presentation by Earth First! about the U.S.radical environmental movement
* good company to boot!

Sliding scale donation from $10 - $20. Money will support the Earth First! direct action movement and roadshow. Wine and beer cash bar available.

Seating is limited, please R.S.V.P and let us know your meal preference (vegan, vegetarian, omnivore) evergladesearthfirst@gmail.com or 561-584-2644

PLEASE COME OUT TO ONE OF THESE EVENTS TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR AND NETWORK WITH THE ACTIVISTS AT EARTH FIRST! AND THE PALM BEACH COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION.

One rainstorm and ... 11,000 FPL Customers Without Power

Unbelievable that one rainstorm would knock out power to 11,000 FPL customers in South Florida. Not a tropical storm, not a hurricane ... just rain and wind!!!

Whatever do we pay them so much for??

Red all about it here and here and here and here ...