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Feds say no to Florida drilling
by The Associated Press
An aide to President Bush has assured Florida's two senators that pending energy legislation would not be used to lift a moratorium on oil and natural gas drilling within 100 miles of the state's gulf coast.
Sen. Bill Nelson's office released a copy April 9 of a letter from Rebecca W. Watson, assistant secretary of interior for land and minerals management, that included a renewed commitment against such drilling. She was responding to an April 2 letter from Nelson and Sen. Bob Graham.
In the letter dated April 8, Watson wrote that the energy bill before the Senate does not affect moratoriums on new lease rights for drilling or exploration in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida, except for one small section south of Alabama, and President Bush's directive against drilling in existing lease areas off Florida.
The two Democratic senators, Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, the president's brother, and other Florida lawmakers are worried that the bill, which calls for a report to Congress analyzing “restrictions and impediments” to oil drilling, could reopen waters off Florida's coast to such activity. Moratoriums will continue Watson wrote that the Interior Department's budget request includes language to continue the moratoriums, in effect until 2012.
“Please be assured that the department remains firm in that commitment,” she wrote.
The governor, Nelson, Graham and 24 of Florida's 25 U.S. representatives, meanwhile, sent a letter to House and Senate leaders opposing any legislation that would open waters off Florida to drilling. Only Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, did not sign it.
“The majority of Floridians oppose drilling in the Gulf of Mexico because of the threat to the tourism industry, which is vital to the state's economy,” the letter says.
It also points out the eastern gulf is vital for military weapons testing and training, particularly because bombing ranges on the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico are being closed.
Also, Graham and Reps. Jeff Miller, R-Chumuckla, and Jim Davis, D-Tampa, introduced legislation to protect the moratoriums by removing the “impediment” inventory from the Senate bill and similar legislation in the House.
“It appears the language could be construed to open the doors for offshore drilling off Florida,” Miller said. “The Department of the Interior says that's not what's intended by the language, but there is such a thing as the law of unintended consequences.”
Graham's attempt, through an amendment to have the eastern gulf and nine other underwater blocs exempted from the proposed inventory, failed April 9 by a 17-6 vote. A Graham spokesman said he plans to reintroduce his amendment to the full Senate.
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