Drew Dixon
A new House bill proposes blocking oil drilling near sensitive waterways in the Sunshine State.
Rep. Jason Shoaf, a St. Joe Republican whose House District 7 seat represents multiple counties in the Big Bend area along the Gulf Coast, filed the bill (HB 1143), which specifically targets oil drilling near many environmentally threatened aquatic areas in the state.
“North Florida has some of the most beautiful coastlines, springs and rivers. These ecosystems are also incredibly fragile, and we must do everything we can to protect them,” Shoaf said in a news release. “I’m not willing to risk the beauty of our region, our coastal economy or the health of our environment for the exploration of oil. Too much is at stake.”
The measure proposed by Shoaf addresses permits for oil drilling, exploration, and extraction of oil and gas resources in Florida.
The bill states that, if enacted, it “prohibits drilling, exploration, or production of specified petroleum products within certain distance of national estuarine research reserves; requires DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) to consider certain factors when determining whether natural resources of certain bodies of water and shore areas are adequately protected from potential accident or blowout.”
The proposed bill is already undergoing review by the Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee and State Affairs Committee. Republican Sen. Corey Simon has filed a companion bill (SB 1300) in the Senate. Simon represents Senate District 3, which spans many of the same areas as Shoaf’s district.
The ban itself as proposed would prohibit any drilling and exploration in areas within 10 miles of National Estuarine Research Reserves that include “crucial habitats that support thousands of tourism and seafood jobs.”
It would also require the DEP to consider the risk of any drilling accident before a permit is issued to any company before drilling commences, particularly within 1 mile of waterways.
