Congressman Jim Davis - Press Release

DRILLING

Florida can't take the risk

By Jim Davis and Mark Foley

May 17, 2006

Right now, families across the nation are making summer plans to enjoy sand and surf. But a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives threatens to spoil Florida's pristine beaches and end our state's status as a prime tourist destination.

This week, the House will consider a bill to eliminate the congressional ban on natural gas drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, which includes the waters surrounding Florida. This bill could place drilling rigs right off Florida's coasts. Working with the Florida delegation, we plan to fight this attack, but we will need the support of every Floridian to win this battle.

This year, rising gas prices have fueled a campaign by energy companies and their friends in Congress to open our shores to drilling. What these drilling proponents will not admit is that opening the OCS to drilling will neither provide short-term relief at the pump nor address America's energy crisis.

Because the bill under consideration only calls for natural gas drilling, it will do nothing to bring down the price of oil. And the legislation will not provide immediate relief for natural gas prices because it will take years for the energy companies to develop the infrastructure necessary to bring the natural gas to market.

More importantly, this bill fails to meet America's long-term energy needs. America cannot drill its way out of this energy crisis. We must find a way to become less dependent on finite natural resources, and at the same time, protect one of America's most precious resources -- our beaches.

If we allow drilling to mar Florida's coast, or any of America's shores, we will spoil a national treasure for generations, while threatening our tourism industry and the jobs and revenue that come with it. Last year, Florida welcomed 85.8 million visitors who contributed over $57 billion to our economy -- funds that kept Florida's tourism industry running and helped build roads and schools.

Energy companies claim that rigs are safe and clean, but tourists prefer Florida's beaches to beaches in Texas and Louisiana, where drilling is permitted. That's because, in addition to the damage caused by spills, drilling operations cause significant environmental damage. Every day, rigs generate massive amounts of waste muds and cuttings, which contain toxic metals, and hundreds of thousands of gallons of "produced water," polluted with toxins.

Furthermore, Floridians should find no comfort in the bill's promise to only allow natural gas drilling, which proponents claim is less likely to cause a messy spill than oil drilling. When energy companies drill, they harvest whatever comes out of the well -- gas or oil -- and it is not uncommon for oil to be found in "gas prone" areas.

The risks posed by any type of offshore drilling are particularly high for Florida's coasts. Placing rigs in the middle of hurricane alley, and in the path of the eastern Gulf of Mexico's powerful loop current, is a dangerous game to play. Experts on ocean circulation have warned that a spill in the eastern Gulf could be picked up by the loop current, carried through the Florida Straits and up the East Coast.

Simply put, Florida cannot afford the risk posed by any drilling off our coasts. For this reason Floridians, those from coastal communities across the nation, and all who cherish long walks on pristine beaches have been fighting to protect the ban on drilling in the OCS.

When the Interior Appropriations Bill reaches the House floor for debate, we will join our colleagues in Florida and from states all along America's coastlines in offering an amendment to extend the congressional moratorium on drilling in the OCS.

We stand together with all Americans who believe that our country needs a national energy policy that focuses on long-term solutions, develops alternative energy sources and commits to conservation efforts -- not a policy that sacrifices America's beautiful beaches.

U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, D-Tampa, represents Florida's 11th Congressional District; U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fort Pierce, represents Florida's 16th Congressional District.