The Trump administration’s new proposal to permit oil drilling off the coast of Florida is a bad policy idea. One of my major priorities while in Congress, after Everglades Restoration, was extending the ban on offshore oil and gas drilling which President George W. Bush put in place in 2007. It would have expired in 2017 had we not successfully achieved a 10-year extension. The line of demarcation runs southward from Destin to past Key West. The House passed my bill and when the Senate would not take it up, President Trump issued an executive order to extend the ban. At that time, he was as interested in saving Florida’s tourism economy as we were.
This is a critical issue for Florida for several reasons:First, the Destin Dome field lies nearby offshore of Destin, presenting a serious risk to the coastal environment if there were ever a spill or equipment failure — things which happen routinely in the oil patch despite the best of preventative measures. It is a complicated and dangerous business.Second, there is a 2 knot +- offshore current which begins east of Mobile that follows along the coast east and south, meeting up with the Gulfstream just west of Key West. The damage to our entire west coast would be immeasurable and severe should an accident occur.Third, our Florida economy is largely based on tourism, clean beaches, and water and outdoor activities. After the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010, we saw strikingly what happens when our beaches and coast are perceived to be damaged — our competitors for tourism pounced aggressively. We are not the only place with a good climate and outdoor activities, and states from Texas through North Carolina made sure this was plastered across the media. Fortunately for Florida, this spill occurred well out in the center of the Gulf, south of the Louisiana/Mississippi border, and very little damage was done here.Now, unfortunately, the administration appears to have changed its mind, abandoning Florida and our economy and lifestyle in the process. This past week, the president proposed a new executive order reversing the 2017 one and allowing offshore drilling east of the Destin demarcation line. This is a serious problem for the north and west coast of Florida and threatens our economic security once again.I hope earnestly that our Florida congressional delegation will stand together, like we did in 2017, Democrats and Republicans, to stop this dangerous policy that threatens all Floridians.
Francis Rooney, member of Congress (Florida District 19), 2017-2021; United States Ambassador to the Holy See, 2005-2008.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Oil drilling off the coast of Florida is a bad policy idea | Opinion
Reporting by Francis Rooney / Naples Daily News
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