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06.10.09

Offshore oil and gas rigs could move dramatically closer to Florida's coastline


(Pardon the photo quality - iPhone photo of borrowed map from reporter while in hearing room)

This just in from Richard Charter:

Dark blue area on this map protected by GOMESA til 2022 by bipartisan compromise was blown away by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee vote, leaving only the red areas extending only 45 miles from shore still protected.

Not shown on this map, additional area opened by today's Senate ENR vote on Destin Dome, only 9 to 25 miles off of Pensacola.

The minimal 45-mile coastal buffer zone remaining after today's vote likely subject to further erosion in future sessions of Congress.

This vote in Committee would allow drilling rigs within the only offshore US live-fire military aircraft training range. No state OCS revenue-sharing was adopted.

This will go down in history as "Let's Break a Deal", and is expected to likely become the poison pill that kills the entire Obama energy bill in the Senate.

Miami Herald: Senate looks to shrink Florida's no-drilling zones

NY Times: Senate Panel OKs Expanded Oil and Gas Leasing in Eastern Gulf

Oceana Sounds off: Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling, Threatening Florida's Gulf Coast