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WASHINGTON, D.C.-Congressman Allen Boyd (D-North Florida) today joined Florida Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) in opposing the U.S. Department of Interior's plans for drilling activities in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. Congressman Boyd is a co-sponsor of the Permanent Protection for Florida Act (HR 4783), legislation to permanently shield Florida's coasts from the hazards of offshore and gas drilling.
"This legislation would provide lasting protection for Florida's world famous beaches and combat the Administration's continued attempts to drill off our coasts," said Congressman Boyd. "Offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, such as what the Interior Department is proposing, poses a risk to our nation's military readiness by placing severe restrictions on the ability of the Air Force and the Navy to train in airspace and naval zones in the gulf."
At a recent Military Quality of Life hearing in Washington, General T. Michael Moseley, the Air Force's chief of staff, backed up this view by indicating that the testing ranges in the Gulf of Mexico are very important to the training of our defense forces, and oil rigs in the gulf could damage these ranges and hinder the military's mission.
The Interior Department's five year plan severely limits Florida's ability to object to proposed drilling projects in the Gulf of Mexico by altering state water boundaries in the gulf. Under the plan, the Department will consult officials from Louisiana and Alabama, states that support drilling, regarding projects in millions of acres of waters which once were considered solely under Florida's jurisdiction. The new boundaries come as close as 16 miles off of Florida's coasts. Furthermore, the plan opens to drilling a large chunk of Lease Sale Area 181, which the Florida delegation successfully fought to protect just a few years ago.
The Permanent Protection for Florida Act, sponsored by Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez in the Senate, includes a list of coastal protections that Floridians have long fought for, such as making the current moratorium against offshore drilling leases permanent and canceling all existing drilling leases in Florida.
"Our beaches and coastlines are special and irreplaceable, and it is our responsibility to protect them," Boyd stated. "Drilling off our coasts would have very damaging consequences for our beaches, our marine life and its habitat, and our national security efforts. Most Floridians understand that drilling in spectacular natural places is a dangerous practice, and I stand by this belief."
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