Tampa
Residents Voice their Concerns about Offshore Drilling
Testimony to be submitted to Dept.
of Interior on Thursday.
TAMPA,
FL – Today, nearly 100 Floridians came to Congressman Jim
Davis’ public meeting to voice their concerns about the U.S. Department of
Interior’s plan to open the
Eastern Gulf of Mexico
to oil and gas drilling. The
crowd included small business owners, local business leaders,
environmentalists and local government officials – many who spoke
passionately about the importance of protecting our beaches.
On
Thursday, April 6th, their testimony will be delivered to the
Department at their meeting in Tallahassee, scheduled for 1:00pm
at the Tallahassee-Leon
County
Civic
Center, located at 505 West Pensacola Street.
In February, the Department
released a draft five year plan for drilling activities in the Outer
Continental Shelf. In
addition to allowing drilling in the Eastern
Gulf, the proposal would severely limit Florida’s ability to object to proposed drilling projects off our shores.
The
Department has conducted numerous public meetings to discuss the plan in
pro-drilling states like Alaska, Texas,
Louisiana
and Alabama. However, the Tallahassee
meeting is the only one scheduled in Florida.
Rep.
Davis hosted the meeting today to allow
Tampa Bay residents, and those from beach communities to participate in the debate
over offshore drilling. Today’s
meeting was videotaped, and on Thursday the tape and written comments
collected at the event will be submitted to the Department’s official
record of public comments on the proposed plan.
“Today,
those who love Florida’s shores, and those whose jobs depend on our beautiful beaches, had a
chance to have their voices heard,” said Congressman
Jim Davis.
Davis
is the House sponsor of the Permanent Protection for Florida Act,
legislation to permanently shield Florida’s coasts from the hazards of offshore oil and gas drilling.
