Sabal Trail Pipeline Trucks Blocked by Local Residents and Activists at Santa Fe River Crossing

 At 6:30 a.m. this morning, October 27, 2016, about twenty people gathered in front of the site where the Sabal Trail pipeline is drilling under the Santa Fe River to block trucks from entering with materials needed for the drilling operation. Trucks carrying thousands of gallons of water and several tons of bentonite, or drilling mud, were obstructed over the course of two hours. Law enforcement officers threatened arrest, though none occurred. The site is located on NW 117th Place, half a mile from US 129, east of the city of Branford.

The group consisted of local residents and activists from groups including Our Santa Fe River, American Indian Movement and Earth First!.

Earlier this week, a motion to stay construction of the pipeline was filed by the Sierra Club and two Georgia-based Riverkeeper groups, who have a pending lawsuit regarding insufficiency of the Environmental Impacts Statement.

“They really should stop this construction until a judge can review the motion to stay. Instead they seem to be working faster. With this disrespect for the legal process, what choice do we have but to stop them ourselves,” said Branford resident Cindy Noel, whose home is approximately one mile from the site along the river.

“The faster they work, the more mistakes they are going to make,” said Noel, referring to the potential for blowouts which have occurred during other pipeline drilling operations around the country.