Florida oil drilling opponents today called on Gov. Charlie Crist to include more coastal protections to his criteria for allowing offshore drilling.
Drilling supporters, meanwhile, touted support today for drilling from road and bridge builders -- although an endorsement letter from the group was issued more than a month ago.
Supporters say drilling can reduce dependence on foreign oil and produce at least $2.3 billion per year in state revenue. Opponents say drilling threatens the state's coastal tourism economy and that any estimates of revenues are speculative.
Gov. Charlie Crist reopened the debate a year ago when he suggested that drilling should be allowed if it could be clean enough, far enough and safe enough to protect Florida's coastline and environment. The House last year approved a bill to allow drilling within three miles of the coast but it failed to win Senate approval
Nine environmental groups today sent a letter to Crist asking him to also consider adding "financial accountability" and the "effects on existing coastal activities" to his principles on whether to allow drilling. That could align the governor with legislation to study the issue proposed last week by two Democratic senators.
"The risks posted by nearshore oil drilling, exploration, transportation and storage need to be carefully considered," the environmental groups wrote in their letter to Crist. "We are calling on you to help make sure this discussion is deliberative."
Crist spokesman Sterling Ivey said the letter is being reviewed by the Governor's Office.
Ron Sachs Communications, which represents drilling supporter Florida Energy Associates, today publicized the Florida Transportation Builders' Association letter to Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, endorsing the drilling idea. "Finding new revenue streams without raising taxes is an idea everyone can support," Association President Robert G. Burleson stated in the Sept. 13 letter.
Ryan Banfill, vice president of Ron Sachs Communications, in an e-mail explained the timing only by saying that the endorsement was announced today. "Why today? Because today is a good day," Banfill wrote.
Despite the innovations made by the petroleum industry they cannot insulate off shore oil drilling from the potential threat of Hurricanes in Florida. Off shore oil drilling threatens Florida's main source of economic revenue, tourism. Hurricane Katrina destroyed 46 oil platforms and damaged 20 others. Hurricane Rita destroyed 69 oil platforms and damaged 32 others. As a result of both storms, 124 spills were reported with a total volume of roughly 17,700 barrels of total petroleum products, of which about 13,200 barrels were crude oil and condensate from platforms, rigs and pipelines, and 4,500 barrels were refined products from platforms and rigs. Pipelines were accountable for 72 spills totaling about 7,300 barrels of crude oil and condensate spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.
ReplyDelete-US Minerals Management Service "PIPELINE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FROM HURRICANES
KATRINA AND RITA IN THE GULF OF MEXICO"
http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Katrina_Rita_PL_Final Report Rev1.pdf
Ha forget about the Hurricanes causing damage. Don't you remember Ixtoc I? It was a Mexican oil rig about 200 miles from Texas that exploded and released 10,000-30,000 barrels of oil per day. The rig didn't get capped of for over 6 months, and released more than 450,000 tonnes of crude oil.
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