Florida Senators Rick Scott (R) and Ashley Moody (R) sent a letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to reject any future oil drilling plans the Department of the Interior has set for Florida and to continue the ban on all oil drilling operations in the state's waters.
Alongside both Senators, the entire Florida Congressional Delegation has joined to push back against Trump, arguing that Florida’s coasts are iconic and a pristine part of the state's environment, serve as a critical national security point for military training with the Gulf Test Range, and help generate jobs and over $127 billion in annual tourism spending.
Any potential oil spills would spell catastrophe and jeopardize all the purposes Florida’s coastlines serve.
“You made the right decision to use executive action to extend the moratorium on oil and gas leasing off Florida’s gulf and east coasts through 2032, recognizing the incredible value Florida’s pristine coasts have to our state’s economy, environment, and military community. This move received overwhelming and bipartisan support,” the letter read.
The letter also claimed that the Department of the Interior’s plans are in direct violation of an executive order signed by Trump, which bans oil drilling until at least 2030, and that they also violate the Gulf Test Range, a vital military training area.
“If this plan were to move forward, the area would clearly fall within the area protected under your moratorium in a clear violation of your 2020 Executive Order. This area also falls within the Gulf Test Range, a critical military training area used by several military forces along Florida’s Panhandle for advanced military testing, training, and evaluation of air and weapons systems,” the letter argued.
The Florida Delegation then argues that the oil drilling plans would also cripple Florida’s tourism economy, which is a large part of Florida’s overall economy.
“Florida’s economy relies on that same beautiful coastline, vibrant tourism industry, and sustainable fisheries. In fact, Florida’s beaches alone generate more than $127.7 billion per year in tourism spending and support over 2.1 million tourism-related jobs,” they expressed. “Unfortunately, all these resources suffered devastating harm during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. That disaster wiped billions of dollars from Florida’s industries and caused irreparable damage to our environment and coastal communities. The risks posed by new offshore drilling far outweigh any short-term gains.”
Previously, in October, both Florida Senators announced they are introducing the American Shores Protection Act to ban oil drilling, natural gas exploration, and development near Florida’s coastline.
This legislation would extend the drilling moratorium, which includes the shores of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, from 2022 to 2032, and would codify President Trump’s September 2020 executive action that protects Sunshine State beaches.
