http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6887769.html

By BILL KACZOR Associated Press Writer © 2010 The Associated Press
Feb. 26, 2010, 3:21PM
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Estimated reserves in Florida waters would provide the United States with less than a week’s worth of oil and have no discernible effect on prices at the pump or U.S. reliance on foreign oil, says a report released Friday as part of a state Senate review of whether a ban on offshore drilling should be lifted.

The report is the latest indication that the push to open Florida waters as near as three miles from the state’s beaches may be waning, at least for this year.

Another is that all 12 lobbyists for Florida Energy Associates, a group pushing for lifting the ban have withdrawn, according to the Legislature’s lobbyist registry.

Also, no bill has yet been filed on drilling in Florida waters with the annual legislative session set to start Tuesday, but resolutions have been introduced in the House and Senate that would urge Congress to lift moratoriums on drilling in federal waters farther from shore.

Senate Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee Chairman Lee Constantine, R-Altamonte Springs, declined comment on the lobbyists leaving Florida Energy Associates and said legislation still could be passed by amending it onto another bill.

“Nothing is dead for this year,” Constantine said. “My job is to find the questions and answer those questions.”

Constantine has a pro-enviroment record but said he’s trying to stay neutral.
Frank Matthews, formerly the lead lobbyist for Florida Energy Associates, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The report was prepared by the Collins Center for Public Policy, a Florida think tank, in conjunction with the state’s Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida. Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, has asked the commission to submit information for the chamber’s examination of the issue.

The 40-page report is full of data gathered from government and private sources but makes no recommendations.

Government assessments suggest oil and gas reserves in state waters east of Apalachicola in the Panhandle are “modest,” the report says. The area west of Apalachicola has a separate geologic structure “that may contain natural gas fields at significant depths in the subsurface.”

Most of the total reserves east of Apalachicola also are gas. The oil estimated in state waters would boost U.S. supplies by less than 100 million barrels, or a small fraction of 1 percent.

“To put that in context, the total estimated amount of oil reserves in Florida would satisfy the U.S. demand for oil (approximately 20 million barrels a day) for less than a week,” the report says.
Constantine said he’s heard that before but it’s only one side of the debate.

“That’s speculation,” Constantine said. “It’s pretty much a guessing game.”

Estimated reserves off Florida in federal waters are more substantial at a bit less than 4 billion barrels but “pale in comparison” to the central and western regions of the Gulf of Mexico, the report says. It adds that drilling in federal waters off Florida would boost total U.S. production by only 1 or 2 percent and “have no discernible impact on the state’s or country’s dependence on foreign oil.”

The report also says the chances of accidental spills are low but that Florida’s coastline is especially sensitive because of its mangrove forests, sea grass beds and coral reefs.

The closer to shore a spill occurs the greater the hazard. The report says that makes drilling in federal waters less of a threat even than drilling in Cuban waters.

“Studies show the sea currents flowing off Cuba’s northwest coast could deposit oil from a significant spill anywhere from the Keys to Palm Beach,” the report says.

special thanks to Richard Charter, as ever!

http://www.ogj.com/index/article-display/0873419187/articles/oil-gas-journal/general-interest-2/government/2010/02/obama-reaffirms_pledge/QP129867/cmpid=EnlDailyFebruary252010.html
Oil and Gas Journal  Feb 24, 2010
Nick Snow
OGJ Washington Editor

WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 24 — Repeating a point that he made in his State of the Union address on Jan. 27, US President Barack Obama told business executives that his administration is willing to make tough decisions on opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development.

“A competitive America is also America that finally has a smart energy policy,” the president said in a Feb. 24 address to the Business Roundtable in Washington. “We know there’s no silver bullet here. We understand that to reduce our dependence on oil and the damage caused by climate change, we’re going to need more production in the short term, we’re going to need more efficiency, and we need more incentives for clean energy.”

He said that funding under the 2009 Economic Recovery Act already has helped jump-start the US clean energy industry with an investment which will lead to 720,000 jobs in that business by 2012. He also cited administration efforts to make homes and businesses more energy-efficient, loan guarantees to construct the first new US nuclear power plant in decades, and support for three of the world’s largest solar plants.

“And I’ve said that we’re willing to make tough decisions about opening up new offshore areas for oil and gas development,” Obama continued. “So what we’re looking at is a comprehensive strategy, not an either/or strategy but a both/and strategy, when it comes to energy.” But to actually make the transition to a clean energy economy, it will be necessary to put a price on carbon pollution, he added.

Bills including imposition of a cap-and-trade system which passed the full US House and the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in 2009 have drawn criticism for their treatment of oil refiners, chemical plants, and other large industries, which Obama acknowledged. “I am sympathetic to those companies that face significant potential transition costs, and I want to work with this organization and others like this to help with those costs and to get our policies right,” he said.

“What we can’t do is stand still,” the president maintained. “The only certainty of the status quo is that the price and supply of oil will become increasingly volatile, [and] that the use of fossil fuels will wreak havoc on weather patterns and air quality. But if we decide now that we’re putting a price on this pollution in a few years, it will give businesses the certainty of knowing they have the time to plan for the transition.”

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100219/LEGISLATURE/2190337/Bill-would-extend-ban-on-offshore-drilling

Statesman Journal

February 19, 2010
A bill that extends Oregon’s moratorium on offshore drilling for 10 more years passed the Oregon Senate on Thursday with a vote of 22-8. House Bill 3613, sponsored by Rep. Ben Cannon, D-Portland, protects Oregon’s Coast for three miles from shore from the threat of offshore oil and gas exploration for the next 10 years. Backers of the bill say there are no plans for drilling, but the state should take precautions to protect the beauty of the coastline and its fishing economies.
If signed into law, the moratorium would continue one that passed in the 2007 Legislative session which expired January 2.
- Beth Casper
_______________
LA Times

Oregon lawmakers extend moratorium on offshore drilling

Legislation halts oil and gas development for 10 more years, but it stops short of a permanent ban.

By Kim Murphy
February 19, 2010
Reporting from Seattle – A 10-year moratorium on offshore oil and gas development along the Oregon coast won final passage in the Legislature on Thursday, though lawmakers stopped short of adopting a permanent ban.

The bill extends a previous moratorium that had expired Jan. 2 for the three-mile-wide stretch of state coastal waters.

There are few known oil resources offshore and no big push for exploration, but environmental, fishing and tourism groups pressed to extend the ban, fearful that the federal government could move to open waters farther offshore to drilling.

“We think we’ve helped solidify the Oregon delegation into keeping the federal moratorium in place,” said Brock Howell, legislative advocate for Environment Oregon.

The state Senate’s 22-8 approval endorsed a version of the bill passed in the House last week.

Democratic Gov. Theodore R. Kulongoski has said he supports the legislation.

Opponents of the bill said technology might one day make it possible to find and safely drill for hidden reserves. “How can you create jobs without using natural resources in our rural communities?” said Republican state Rep. Wayne Krieger.

The Western States Petroleum Assn. opposed the bill while reaffirming that there was no current interest in drilling off Oregon.

“Our view is a long-term ban is just not sensible energy policy,” spokesman Tupper Hull said. “We do ourselves no favors by putting potentially valuable energy resources off-limits in an era when there seems to be consensus that we ought to improve our energy security.”

kim.murphy@latimes.com

Special thanks to Richard Charter

http://www.theolympian.com/649/story/1144607.html
The Olympian By JOSH HAFENBRACK | Sun Sentinel * Published February 19, 2010

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – By now, the arguments are well rehearsed. Offshore oil drilling is either a dangerous gamble with Florida’s beach-driven tourism industry, or a potential job creation and tax windfall.

Either way, an emotional and politically charged drilling debate is taking shape in the state Capitol, a slow-moving political drama that is likely to unfold over the next two years on whether to allow oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, three to 10 miles from Florida’s West Coast beaches.

Republican legislative leaders are holding hearings and producing reports on the economic and environmental impacts of offshore oil and natural gas exploration. Even supporters say the drill bill is unlikely to become law this year, with lawmakers skittish about the 2010 election, gas under $3 a gallon and a reluctant state Senate taking a go-slow approach to the issue.

But the subtext is clear: With more drilling-friendly leadership taking over the House and Senate this November, the legislative session that starts March 2 could lay the groundwork for allowing oil rigs to set up off Florida’s Gulf Coast.

After the November elections, staunch drilling advocates state Rep. Dean Cannon and state Sen. Mike Haridopolos, both Republicans, will take over as powerful presiding officers in their respective chambers.

Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who once was against drilling, has been open to the idea but hasn’t made it a central part of his legislative platform.

“I think we’ll lay the predicate this year for next year,” said Barney Bishop, president of the Associated Industries of Florida, which is lobbying for offshore drilling.

Since 1990, Florida has banned exploration or drilling in its waters, which run from three miles to 10.3 miles off the Gulf Coast shoreline. Oilmen are lobbying to repeal that ban and authorize exploration in the Gulf, which is thought to be rich in oil and natural gas.
Atlantic Ocean waters off the South Florida coast would not be open to drilling. However, drilling critics argue that South Florida could see fewer tourists if people come to think of Florida beaches as oil production sites or if a West Coast oil spill gets national media attention.
Legislators won’t authorize drilling outright. Rather, they are seeking to lift the 1990 ban and leave the decision on whether to offer drilling leases to the state Cabinet, which is comprised of the governor, attorney general, chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner.
Supporters say drilling could create up to 20,000 jobs and bring billions in permitting and severance tax revenue over several decades. They note there hasn’t been a drilling-related oil spill in the United States since an incident off the California coast in 1969.

“The beaches is a moot issue,” said Bishop. “There hasn’t been a single drilling accident in 40 years.”

Opponents counter that revenue and job projections are inflated and could take a decade or more to materialize – and there’s no way to guarantee against a tourism-destroying oil spill. Even if the rigs are safe, a damaging spill could happen during a major hurricane or from a faulty pipeline, they note.

“Our view is, you can’t make it both safe and profitable,” said Eric Draper, a lobbyist for the Audubon Society.

The methodical approach legislators are taking this year is calculated to take away the argument that drill-bent Republicans are ramming through a sweetheart deal for the oil industry.

The results are dry, hours-long hearings in Tallahassee on the geological and practical aspects of drilling. More meetings are planned even before a bill is written. That’s a stark contrast to last year, when the House pushed through a drill bill in the last two weeks of session with little debate. The proposal stalled in the Senate.

“No one can say we didn’t have an in-depth discussion,” said Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul.

Democrat Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, who represents a coastal district in Sarasota, praised House Republicans for holding extensive hearings, but said he remained unconvinced that the financial benefits from drilling outweighed the risks.
“They’re not sweeping potential problems under the rug,” Fitzgerald said of legislative Republicans. Still, he said, “People have to decide – do the benefits outweigh the costs? I’m a long way from being convinced. If you look at where I live, the entire economy is based on the beach. Anything that might detract from that is very costly.”

Special thanks to Richard Charter

Special thanks to Michael Blades

http://www.newsherald.com/articles/drilling-81444-oil-military.html

News-Herald.com  Panama City
Oil drilling legislation not likely this year, lawmakers say
Patronis: Constituents’ views ‘a mixed bag’
February 15, 2010 06:00:00 AM

Area legislators expressed doubts Friday that the Florida Legislature will pass any offshore oil drilling-related bills in 2010 due to concerns about impacts on military missions, the region’s tourism industry and the environment.

“My gut tells me it won’t be this year,” said Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City.  The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill late in the 2009 session that would have allowed the governor and his three-member Cabinet to consider and award drilling leases in state waters as close as 3 miles to shore.  The Florida Senate refused to take up the House bill, with no other drilling legislation reaching the Senate floor for a vote.

A few months after the end of the 2009 legislative session, Bay County military advocates and business interests expressed reservations about offshore oil drilling in Florida waters, with the Bay Defense Alliance and Bay County Chamber of Commerce releasing a joint statement in October 2009 that opposed any legislation in conflict with the military’s gulf training missions.

The statement included a University of West Florida Haas Center estimate putting Tyndall Air Force Base’s and Naval Support Activity Panama City’s annual economic impact at $2.3 billion and a list of some of the missions performed by those bases and Eglin Air Force Base in the Gulf Test Range.   Patronis said he not seen any proposed House offshore oil drilling legislation filed thus far.  Senate President Jeff Atwater has asked a committee to study the environmental impacts of drilling, Patronis said.  He said the Senate leader, who has announced his intention to run for the state’s chief financial officer post, won’t be rushing any drilling bills to the Senate floor.  “Jeff Atwater has been pretty blunt about not taking up drilling until he’s seen the facts,” Patronis said.

Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said the House seems more interested than the Senate in taking up oil drilling legislation, and he would be surprised to see any oil drilling legislation taken up on the Senate floor this year.   In October 2009, Gaetz said oil drilling did not appear to be at the top of his constituents’ priorities in terms of legislative issues.  Since then, Gaetz said Friday, his constituents have displayed significantly more interest in the offshore oil drilling issue.  The Niceville senator said he has talked privately to some military officials about the issue.

Eglin Air Force Base Commander Col. Bruce McClintock told the House Military Affairs and Local Policy Committee in January he had concerns about oil and gas drilling and its possible disruption of flight testing in the gulf.   Without specifically citing McClintock’s committee testimony, Gaetz acknowledged the military has been more public about its concerns that he ever has seen, something the senator said the Legislature should take into consideration when it looks at offshore oil drilling.  He said his vote on the issue continues to be motivated by any effect drilling would have on military missions.  “The military missions in this area are the basis of Northwest Florida’s economy,” Gaetz said.

Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, said she continues to educate herself on the drilling issue, which still provokes strong opinions from voters in her district.  “It honestly, it is divisive,” Coley said of the issue.   Coley said she and Patronis, as well as Tyndall Air Force Base and Navy leaders, recently met with Speaker-designate Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, to talk about the impact offshore drilling would have on gulf military missions.   Coley said she thought Cannon, a proponent of offshore oil drilling, came away from the meeting with a better idea of the military’s economic and national defense importance in the region.   She said she still would vote no on any bill that adversely affects military missions or the area’s tourism industry.

Patronis said his constituents’ views on drilling are “a mixed bag,” with some opposed and other voters adamant about exploration as a way to achieve energy independence.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-02-14/story/people_hold_hands_across_the_sand_to_protest_offshore_drilling_in_flori_0
Jacksonville.com
Jacksonville, Florida
People hold hands across the sand to protest offshore drilling in Florida
A statewide initiative was planned on Florida’s coasts.
        *       BY MAGGIE FITZROY
        *       STORY UPDATED AT 1:18 AM ON SUNDAY, FEB. 14, 2010
MAGGIE FITZROY/The Times-Union
Scores of people hold hands at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Jacksonville Beach to protest possible off-shore oil drilling in Florida, part of a statewide “Hands Across the Sand” initiative.

Scores of people lined up on the shoreline in Jacksonville Beach on Saturday afternoon and held hands for 10 minutes as they looked out at the ocean.

As part of a statewide initiative called “Hands Across the Sand,” they joined thousands who planned to hold hands up and down Florida’s beaches at 1:30 p.m. to protest the possibility of oil drilling off the state’s coasts.

The Jacksonville Beach event, which met at the foot of Beach Boulevard, was organized by the Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol. And as suggested on the project’s Web site, www.handsacrossthesand.org, participants began gathering on the beach at 1 p.m.

“It’s been in the news that the Legislature wants to allow offshore drilling, but we are a fragile ecological state,” said Valerie Pickett of Atlantic Beach, who arrived with her daughter Dawson, 17, and neighbor Diana Froehlich, 18.

“We don’t need to have the issue of possible oil spills or contamination of our waters,” she said.

Steve Fouraker of Atlantic Beach, who came with several friends, said he doesn’t want to see “unsightly platforms” off the coasts, and would rather see alternative energy sources explored.

“Hopefully people feel strongly enough that they can brave being cold for 10 minutes,” said Sea Turtle Patrol director Jennifer Burns as she watched people arrive at the otherwise nearly empty beach. She said she was pleased with the turnout, despite unseasonably cold weather around the state, and hoped for good turnouts in other planned locations as well, including a protest organized by Surfrider Foundation at the St. Augustine Beach pier.

Carolyn Antman, who attended the St. Augustine protest as a member of the Duval County Audubon Society, said later that day that about 50 people came to that event just south of the city’s pier. “The morning was cold and gray,” and “it’s not a beach time of the year,” she said.”So I’m pretty well pleased that many showed up.”

While oil drilling is being considered off the Gulf Coast, “theoretically, they could drill around the entire coastline,” Burns said. While Saturday’s protest was the only one planned so far, “depending on how it moves along through the government, we might hold other events,” she said.

Tom Larson of Jacksonville Beach, who came as a member of the Sierra Club and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said “the coastal and estuarine environment of Florida is exposed to great risk” if oil drilling proposals are pursued.

Damage from oil spills around the world have proven almost impossible to repair, in addition, there is not that much oil off Florida, compared to what world markets demand, he said.
“Florida stands on tourism, and offering the world our wonderful scene. We’d be putting that at risk for the relatively minor benefits of this local oil.”

maggie.fitzroy@shorelines.com, (904) 249-4947, ext. 6320.
special thanks to Richard Charter ________________________

About 400 people stood at Smathers Beach in Key West  to protest oil drilling as part of the February 13 Hands Across the Sand event.  

BY CAMMY CLARK AND ROBERT SAMUELS

http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/1479494.html?storylink=omni_popular

rsamuels@MiamiHerald.com

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61C2LT20100213

Sat Feb 13, 2010 4:59pm EST

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (Reuters) – Thousands of Floridians demonstrated against moves to allow offshore oil drilling on Saturday along the east and west coasts of the state in a protest dubbed “Hands Across the Sand.”

Organizer David Rauschkolb said about 80 demonstrations took place at beaches from Pensacola on the northwest coast of Florida to Key West in the south and Jacksonville in the north.  “This issue is one Floridians care about, protecting our waterways and coastlines from the devastating effects of oil exploration,” Rauschkolb said in a telephone interview. He owns a beachfront restaurant in Seaside, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico.

Legislation to allow oil drilling off the Florida coast passed the Florida House of Representatives last year but was blocked by Republican Governor Charlie Crist and the state Senate.  Oil-drilling opponents fear the legislation may come up again in this year’s legislative session. Supporters of offshore drilling say it is needed to reduce U.S. dependence on imported oil.

“I don’t think this issue is going away,” Rauschkolb said.

In St. Petersburg, about 200 people including local officials, parents and children gathered at a beach resort hotel despite chilly weather and strong winds.  Most wore black to symbolize an oil spill. They stood in line facing the Gulf of Mexico and holding hands for several minutes as a small plane flew overhead towing a banner that read: “Love tourists – not drilling.”

“Do you really want oil washing up on our beaches?” local organizer Cathy Harrelson said.

 Writing by Robert Green; Editing by Peter Cooney. Special thanks to Richard Charter

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/hundreds-line-pinellas-beaches-to-protest-near-shore-oil-drilling/1073098TampaBay.com
St. Pete Times

By Curtis Krueger, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Feb 13, 2010 03:30 PM
 
ST. PETE BEACH – Hundreds of people linked hands and lined Pinellas County’s beaches on Saturday, taking a stand against oil drilling along Florida’s coastline.

“We’re not going to stand here and allow drilling right off these beautiful beaches,” U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Indian Shores, said at a gathering of elected officials and organizers at the Sirata Beach Resort and Conference Center.   Later, hundreds joined hands on the windy beaches, as waves crashed to the shore. The demonstrations in Pinellas County were part of a statewide effort on more than 70 beaches.

Bob Ullmark, 53, said he came to the event because “we don’t want any nasty oil in the water.”

“We don’t want to see any environmental catastrophes,” added Kathy Sterling, 30, of St. Petersburg, who brought her 1-year-old daughter Lily.

State political leaders traditionally have opposed drilling near Florida beaches, fearing the devastating impact an oil spill could have on the tourism industry.   But high oil prices, the faltering economy and a quest for U.S. energy independence have led some to push for more drilling.

The speakers and demonstrators on Saturday wanted to present a united front against that idea.
“This is bipartisan, you have Republicans and Democrats,” said state Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg.

Special thanks to Richard Charter

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKN1116218520100211

Reuters   Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:06pm GMT   By Tom Doggett

WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (Reuters) – The U.S. Interior Department on Thursday issued the final terms for leasing almost 37 million acres in the central Gulf of Mexico to energy companies so they can drill for oil and natural gas.    The area to be leased may hold up to 1.3 billion barrels of crude oil and 5.4 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to the department, which is also shortening the time that companies would have to develop the tracts.

Lease Sale 213 involves about 6,958 tracts spread over 36.9 million acres located 3 to 230 miles off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The blocks are in water depths from 10 feet (3 meters) to more than 11,200 feet (3,400 meters).

The lease sale will include about 4.1 million acres in an area known as 181 South, off the Alabama-Florida border. Drilling off Florida in the Gulf is only allowed far from the state’s shoreline.   NOTE BY DEEVON:  THIS IS THE WORST NEWS.  THIS 181 Leasesale USED TO BE IN FLORIDA WATERS AND DRILLING HERE WAS BROADLY OPPOSED.   BUSH TRANSFERRED IT TO LOUISIANA WITHOUT ANY PUBLIC DISCUSSION. DRILLING MUDS FROM THIS AREA WILL BE CARRIED BY THE GULF LOOP CURRENT INTO THE LOWER FLORIDA KEYS.

The lease sale, which will be held on March 17, will cut the time energy companies have to develop oil and gas resources on certain tracts.
The leasing period for blocks in waters 400 to 800 meters (1,312 to 2,625 feet) deep would change from eight to five years, but when an exploratory well is drilled the lease could be extended by three years.

Blocks 800 to 1600 meters (2,625 to 5,249 feet) deep would have lease terms of seven years instead of 10 years. There would also be an extension of three years with an exploratory well.

The current 10-year leasing period would continue for blocks in 1,600 meters (5,249 feet) of water.

Liz Birnbaum, director of the department’s Minerals Management Service, said the shorter leasing periods will “provide a fair return to the public for (offshore) resources and a fair opportunity for lessees to explore, develop and profit from their leases while encouraging diligent development.”
Oil and gas companies have opposed the cut in the leasing periods.

“MMS recognizes that advances in technology have decreased the time necessary for exploration and development in some water depths, while frontier conditions still exist in the deepest waters of the Gulf,” said Birnbaum. “The reduction of some initial lease periods with possible extensions is a way to expedite development.”   Companies will have to pay the government a royalty fee based on 18.75 percent of the value of the oil and gas they drill in the offshore tracts.
(Reporting by Tom Doggett)

Special thanks to Richard Charter

Special thanks to Richard Charter

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/story/1473988.html   Florida beach towns plan anti-oil drilling protest  MiamiHerald.com – Beachside communities and environmentalists have planned a statewide protest against offshore oil-drilling for Saturday. “Hands Across the Sand” calls for …
 http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/514667.html?nav=5011        ‘Hands Across The Sand’ to protest drilling  Cape Coral Daily Breeze – Bob Petcher, Jeff Lysiak – Charlie Crist and state legislators to oppose any legislation that would allow oil drilling as close as three to 10 miles off the Florida coastland, …
  http://mulletwrapper.com/article.cfm?ID=1530       Perdido Chamber backs Feb. 13 Hands Across the Sand protest  Mullet Wrapper – … protest will convince the Florida Legislators and Governor Crist to drop any and all legislation that would allow oil drilling on Florida’s Coasts. …
   http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/feb/11/na-oppose-offshore-drilling-with-strong-show-of-ha/news-opinion-commentary/    Oppose offshore drilling with strong show of hands  Tampa Tribune – Cathy Harrelson – We want to let our state leaders know that we don’t want them to open Florida’s waters to offshore oil drilling. We’re going to wear black to symbolize an …
 http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/offshore-oil-drilling-foes-to-protest-on-beaches/1072362        Offshore oil drilling foes to protest on beaches  Tampabay.com – Craig Pittman – Organizers are asking opponents of drilling to dress in black – the color of an oil spill – and gather at their designated beach at 1 pm They want them to …
 http://www.tampabay.com/news/briefs/things-to-do-in-north-pinellas-from-valentines-day-dances-to-boating/1072304        Things to do in North Pinellas from Valentine’s Day dances to boating classes  Tampabay.com – Hands across the sand: A gathering to oppose oil drilling off Florida’s coasts begins at noon at the northwest corner of Fred Howard Beach, …
  http://cbs4.com/local/hands.in.the.2.1485015.html      Massive Protest To Pack South Florida Beaches  CBS 4 – “Hands across the sand” is planning a massive statewide gathering to protest expanded offshore drilling in Florida’s waters. Organizers say that the protest …
 http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/EastVolusia/evlEAST03BEACH021110.htm        Offshore drilling opponents plan beach lineup  Daytona Beach News-Journal – Dinah Voyles Pulver – Volunteers are expected to line up along the coast Saturday in Florida to protest proposals for oil drilling in the state’s offshore …
 http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/feb/10/tiffany-jackson-join-the-fight-for-floridas/        Tiffany Jackson: Join the fight for Florida’s coasts  TCPalm – Everyone is urged to come out and “draw a line” in the sand against the devastating effects that oil drilling would have on our beaches, tourism and our way …
  http://www.gulfbreezenews.com/news/2010-02-11/Entertainment/The_good_times_roll_this_weekend_for_Mardi_Gras.html       The good times roll this weekend for Mardi Gras  Gulf Breeze News – Have a negative opinion on the oil drilling to be conducted in the Gulf of Mexico? Come and support the others who seek to drive out the drilling at 12 p m. …
 http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-02-11/story/jacksonville_journal_activist_group_to_protest_drilling_off_floridas_coa        JACKSONVILLE JOURNAL: Activist group to protest drilling off Florida’s coast  Florida Times-Union – Opponents of plans to allow oil and gas drilling off Florida’s coast have scheduled demonstrations Saturday at Jacksonville Beach. …
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20100211/OPINION05/2110306/1022/OPINION02/Anne-Schultz-Hands-Across-the-Sand-stands-for-solidarity-in-beach-protection         Anne Schultz: ‘Hands Across the Sand’ stands for solidarity in beach protection  Tallahassee Democrat – Anne W. Schultz – For Rauschkolb, as for many others, protecting these waters from oil drilling means far more than economics or politics. Many speak in reverence of the …
·http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20100211/CAPITOLNEWS/2110317/Drilling-opponents-mounting–Hands-Across-Sand–protest         Drilling opponents mounting ‘Hands Across Sand’ protest  Tallahassee.com – Bill Cotterell – Black-clad opponents of offshore oil drilling hope to mount the biggest protest in Florida …

Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition

Caribbean Conservation Corporation & Sea Turtle Survival League 

Gulf Restoration Network · Indian River Keeper

Natural Resources Defense Council · Reef Relief

Surfrider Foundation

www.flcoastalandocean.org 

News Release   Contact: Lindsey Pickel (813) 846.1827

February 11, 2010

 FACTS SHOW COASTAL DRILLING TOO RISKY OFF FLORIDA’S COASTS

Today the Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition, a group of organizations working together to conserve, protect and restore Florida’s coastal and marine environment, released a factsheet that explores the impacts of offshore drilling on  Florida’s coast. The factsheet shows that drilling off Florida’s coasts will not only endanger the environment Floridians treasure, but also cause significant economic losses to the state at a time when it is trying to recover from other economic impacts.

“Catastrophic oil spills, such as the recent Australian spill, remind us of the serious environmental consequences even state of the art technology can create” stated Lindsey Pickel, FCOC Coordinator.

 “It doesn’t make economic sense to threaten Florida’s valuable ocean and coastal economies that depend on clean water, beautiful beaches and abundant fish and wildlife with the pollution and industrialization that accompanies offshore drilling” said Sarah Chasis, Director of NRDC’s Ocean Initiative and a member of the Coalition’s Steering Committee. It makes more sense to invest in clean energy strategies that will create more jobs, spur new business and safeguard Florida’s great assets—its coasts and oceans.”

 The facts present clear evidence that Florida’s coastal and ocean economies provide far greater resources and revenues than projected drilling revenues.  Ericka D’Avanzo, Florida Regional Manager of Surfrider Foundation stated, “The proposed oil royalties pale in comparison to the potential damage caused by new coastal infrastructure to support drilling operations, the costs of drilling-related accidents, and, most importantly, Florida’s coastal recreation and marine economies which generated over $550 billion in 2006– almost 300 times more than the driller’s projected annual revenue.”

 “The oil industry’s track record across the Gulf of Mexico should be reason enough for Floridians to oppose drilling right off our coast” said Joe Murphy, Florida Program Coordinator, Gulf Restoration Network.  “Spills, pollution, industrialization, and tar balls are all part of the deal, and it would be a bad deal for Florida.  Our coastlines support a fishing industry and tourism industry that is the envy of the nation, and that is too valuable to place in the hands of the oil industry.” 

 The Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition’s Factsheet discusses issues such as oil drilling byproducts, oil spills, ocean currents, Florida’s coastal and ocean economies, and the myth that drilling off Florida’s coasts will lower gas prices.  “Florida’s coastal water quality is critical to the economic lifeblood of Florida’s long term survival, and any economic recovery in Florida will be driven by the quality, and continued protection of our coastal water resources. People don’t visit, start new sustainable businesses, or buy homes around polluted beaches and estuaries”, stated George Jones, Executive Director, Indian Riverkeeper. 

 Florida’s world renowned beaches support coastal economies and also provide critical habitat for threatened and endangered species “These beaches host 90% of all the marine turtle nesting in the United States”, said Gary Appleson, Policy Director of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation, the world’s oldest marine turtle conservation organization. “These beaches are already under threat from inappropriate shoreline development and coastal erosion. As Florida works to reduce these threats it should not be adding new ones posed by oil drilling.”

 “Any spills from peninsular Florida could rapidly move to the coral reefs and mangrove forests of the Florida Keys and southeast Florida via the Loop Current, (a major ocean current in the Gulf of Mexico) creating a major ecological and economic disaster for our state”, said Paul Johnson, Programs and Policy Director for REEF RELIEF, based out of Key West, Florida. “What is needed is a comprehensive national energy policy in concert with marine spatial planning of existing ocean activities and resources, before Florida moves forward with any consideration of offshore oil and gas”.

 To view the Coalition’s Factsheet, go to www.flcoastalandocean.org or see attached.    

Final Fact Sheet 2-11-2010[1]

#  #  #

The Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition is comprised of national and statewide organizations working together to preserve the saltier and sandier sides of Florida.  For more information please visit the Coalition’s website www.flcoastalandocean.org

Media Advisory
 
For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                     Contact: Cathy Harrelson, 727-415-8805
February 9, 2010                                                                                                                                                              Phil Compton, 813-841-3601
Hands Across the Sands Saturday
Pinellas Legislators, Coastal Businesses and Residents Join Together &
Speak Out Against Threat of Big Oil to Way of Life on Gulf Beaches
 
Florida’s beaches today face an unprecedented threat from Big Oil’s determined drive to drill in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Saturday February 13th thousands of Floridians from every walk of life and political persuasion will join hands at 1:30pm on more than 80 Florida beaches to defend those beaches from the threat of offshore & nearshore drilling to our coastal environment and economy.
 
Prior to the Hands event, Pinellas County elected officials will join with local businesses at noon to explain why Florida’s coastal economy must now be protected in both Tallahassee and Washington
 
WHEN:           Saturday February 13, 2010, 12:00 noon
WHO:             Pinellas County Elected Officials
WHAT:           Hands Across the Sand press conference with Pinellas elected officials
WHERE:        Sirata Beach Resort, 5300 Gulf Blvd. St. Pete Beach, FL 33706
Scheduled to speak at the noon press conference at the Sirata Beach Resort are:
·        Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch, District 7
·        Senator Dennis Jones, D.C., Florida District 13 (R-Seminole)
·        Senator Charlie Justice, Florida District 16 (D-St. Petersburg)
·        Rep. James C. “Jim” Frishe, Florida District 54 (R-St. Petersburg)
·        Rep. Rick Kriseman, Florida District 53 (D-St. Petersburg)
·        Shahra Anderson, Regional Director, office of U.S. Senator Bill Nelson
·        St. Petersburg City Councilman Karl Nurse
Rep. C.W. “Bill” Young, Florida 10th Congressional District (R-St. Petersburg), has also been invited.
 
Drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico has been considered for years, but never more seriously than today, with debate in both the US Senate and Florida State Legislature to occur in the next few weeks. Floridians are sounding the alarm statewide and joining hands in an outpouring of support to protect America’s best beaches and the $65 billion tourist industry sustained by our coastal environment.
 
Directions to press conference at Sirata’s beachfront North Deck: Enter Sirata Beach Resort entrance, turn right, driving under registration portico. Right, then left past Avis building, another left to park near yellow wall with sign for “north deck” on left (beach access is on the right).
 
Visuals: Bi-partisan unity among local elected officials, joined by business leaders and owners from Gulf Blvd.’s beach resorts, on issue of defending Pinellas beaches from oil drilling, standing together on world famous St. Pete Beach at Sirata resort, with view of Tradewinds resort next door.
 
Note: Hundreds of participants in nearby Hands Across the Sands events will begin gathering at 1:00 pm to join hands from 1:30 – 1:45. Separate advisory will highlight local events.
 
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
 
 
 
Phil Compton, Regional Representative, Sierra Club Florida Regional Office
111 2nd Ave. NE, Ste. 1001, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
727-824-8813, ext. 303      813-841-3601: cell

Public News Service-FL nc@publicnewsservice.org]

February 10, 2010

A Line in the Florida Sand

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – On Saturday, thousands of Floridians will literally draw a line in the sand to fight near-shore oil and gas drilling. The “Hands Across the Sand” protest is aimed at putting the brakes on a proposal many feel will damage the environment and jeopardize Florida’s beach-dependent tourism industry.

Organizer Dave Rauschkolb says people will be holding hands, along beaches from Pensacola to Key West and Miami to Jacksonville, to make a point about Florida’s ecology and economy.

“Every Chamber of Commerce from Pensacola to Panama City Beach has passed resolutions against oil drilling.”

The group Defenders of Wildlife predicts that a bill to allow drilling off the Florida coastline will be the defining issue of the legislative session that begins in March; a similar measure failed last year when the state Senate refused to consider it.

Supporters of drilling say it would help ease the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and create jobs, but Shannon Miller with Florida’s Defenders of Wildlife chapter, warns the potential damage is not worth the gamble.

“It will leave us with damaged coastal and marine habitats and lead us away from a healthy, sustainable and renewable energy future.”

Rauschkolb adds Florida’s beaches are the key to the state’s economic health, and doing anything that might endanger them is a foolish risk.

“Florida’s legacy is clean water, clean beaches, sunshine, lots of fun – and why would we want to risk that coastal legacy?”

Participants in Hands Across the Sand will gather at their local beaches at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 13. For more information about the protest, see www.handsacrossthesand.org.

Special thanks to Richard Charter

State officials first adopted a drilling moratorium in the 1990s and lawmakers readopted a three-year ban in 2007. But that expired on Jan. 2 of this year.

After more than a half hour’s debate, the House voted 38-21 in support of House Bill 3613, which would extend the drilling ban for another 10 years. The vote moves the bill on to the Senate for consideration.

“Oregonians are not willing to risk our off-shore resources for a few days of energy,” argued Rep. Ben Cannon, D-Portland.

But others questioned whether 10 years is too long to lock up a resource Oregon might need.

Rep. Wayne Krieger, R-Gold Beach, said rapidly evolving technology may make it possible to extract oil and gas without harming the environment. Krieger asked: “How can you create jobs without using natural resources in our rural communities?”

Environmental and fishing industry groups, often adversaries on public policy issues, teamed up in favor of seeing the ban renewed during this month’s special session. The original version of the bill called for a permanent ban but a compromise was struck shortening it to 10 years.

No one expects oil companies are planning to begin drilling anytime soon. Yet the idea does come up. Two years ago, with gas prices topping $4 a gallon, some in Congress called for the nation to tap its off-shore reserves.

Brian Doherty, lobbyist for the Western States Petroleum Association, testified in committee that the are no proven commercial quantities of oil or natural gas in Oregon’s territorial sea. But his group opposed a permanent ban.

Special thanks to  Richard Charter

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/offshore-oil-drilling-foes-to-protest-on-beaches/1072362
St. Pete Times
TampaBay.com

By Craig Pittman, Times Staff Writer . Special thanks to Richard Charter
In Print: Thursday, February 11, 2010

Opponents of offshore drilling are hoping thousands of people dressed in black will join them Saturday holding hands on beaches around the state for 10 minutes.

The idea for the “Hands Across the Sand” protest came from Dave Rauschkolb, 48, who for the past 24 years has owned a beachfront restaurant called Bud & Alley’s in the Panhandle community of Seaside.

Rauschkolb, a surfer for more than 30 years, said his plan was as simple as could be: “How hard is it to get people to go to the beach in Florida?”
When he pitched the idea to some friends, it began to snowball. Now there are 70 beaches around the state where various groups have agreed to help sponsor a local version of the protest.

Doug Daniels, the Daytona Beach attorney representing the pro-drilling Florida Energy Associates LLC, said he hadn’t heard about Hands Across the Sand but that “it sounds like a fine protest.” As for whether it will have any impact on the Legislature, though, he said, “I doubt that it will.”

In fact, he said, he hopes his side can convince the protesters that drilling is environmentally safe. “We hope at the end of the day, we’ll have their support,” he said.

In the Tampa Bay area there are protests slated for Upham Beach, Clearwater Beach, Fort De Soto, St. Pete Beach, Gulfport, Lassing Park, Madeira Beach, Pass-a-Grille, Redington Shores, Clam Bayou, Treasure Island, and Tarpon Springs.

Organizers are asking opponents of drilling to dress in black – the color of an oil spill – and gather at their designated beach at 1 p.m. They want them to hold hands for 10 minutes, showing their solidarity.

 Craig Pittman can be reached at craig@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8530.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/02/virginia-senate-kills-bill-offshoredrilling-profits

By Julian Walker
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 10, 2010

special thanks to Richard Charter

The Democratic majority in Virginia’s Senate this afternoon killed for the year legislation from Virginia Beach Republican Sen. Frank Wagner to dedicate future offshore drilling royalties to the state general fund, a coastal energy research consortium and to localities for transportation fixes.

Wagner carried SB601 on behalf of Gov. Bob McDonnell, whose transportation funding plan partly relies on money from drilling. It was defeated on a 22-18 party line vote.

Noting that federal officials haven’t yet approved drilling off Virginia’s coast or decided how royalties would be dispersed, Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax, called the bill “a fantasy” that seeks to dedicate dollars “the state is never going to see.”

In rebuttal remarks, Wagner said actions at the state and federal level in recent years have put Virginia closer to being granted approval for offshore drilling. Rejecting the bill sends the wrong signal to Washington, he argued. Upcoming November elections could alter the political makeup of Congress and change how it deals with offshore drilling, he added.

A similar defeat likely awaits offshore-drilling royalty legislation from Del. Chris Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, which previously passed the House of Delegates. That measure, HB756, already rests in the Senate Finance Committee, to which Wagner’s bill was dispatched.
________________________________________

http://www.dailypress.com/news/virginia/dp-va–xgr-offshoredrill0210feb10,0,1076395.story http://www.dailypress.com/news/virginia/dp-va–xgr-offshoredrill0210feb10,0,1076395.story
Daily Press
Dems say bill would give ‘false hope’
RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Senate has killed a measure pushed by Gov. Bob McDonnell to allocate funds received from possible offshore drilling for oil and gas off the state’s coast to services such as education, health care and public safety.

Democrats argued that Congress was not likely to approve the sale of leases for drilling rights, and to pass a bill allocating such royalties would give citizens false hope in tough economic times.

The Senate voted 22-18 Wednesday along party lines to send the proposal back to committee, where it will be carried over until next year.

The House passed a similar measure on Monday that would divert 70 percent of the revenues to transportation, 20 percent to energy research and 10 percent to localities.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20100209/NEWS01/2090315/1006/NEWS01/Hands-span-coast-against-offshore-oil-drilling

Pensacola News Journal

Hands span coast against offshore oil drilling
Opponents gathering across state to fight oil, gas exploration
BILL COTTERELL * NEWS JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU * FEBRUARY 9, 2010

The statewide “Hands Across the Sand” demonstration opposes proposals to permit oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. An industry spokesman said Monday the opponents are unfamiliar with cleaner new technology.

“The metaphor of joining hands goes much farther than what’s happening on Saturday,” said Dave Rauschkolb, a Seaside restaurateur who has spent about four months working on the project. “We can beat this in the Legislature if they hear the message of Floridians. We hope to make this a very unpopular thing for any member to vote for.”

Rauschkolb and environmental groups and coastal businesses fear tourism and fishing would be hurt by offshore rigs.

Using social-network sites, they arranged groups in almost every city and county along the coastlines to get like-minded people to the beach on Saturday, most wearing black, to symbolize an oil spill, for a hand-holding protest.

Nobody is estimating how many will turnout in any area, but the idea is to make the opposition highly visible.

“I’m hoping for more than 100 out here,” said Chasidy Hobbs of Pensacola Beach, who works with Emerald Coastkeeper, an environmental group. “We believe the economic benefits that can be gained from oil drilling are nowhere near the economic benefits that Florida reaps already from our coastline.”

Despite a surge of support in the Florida House last session, when a bill authorizing the governor and Cabinet to grant drilling leases was passed but stalled in the Senate, opponents are fired up and confident for the session starting March 2.

Dave Mica, executive director of the Florida Petroleum Council, said House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, remains an enthusiastic advocate of authorizing future leasing. Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, has told committees in his chamber to make a thorough study of tax benefits, jobs and environmental implications of drilling, effectively slowing the proposal.
“We hope we can at least create the framework legally for the state to process leases,” said Mica. “There will always be some detractors, but we believe they’re not looking at what the industry is doing now, in terms of being able to protect the coast.”

Florida Today
Editorial
“Hands Across The Sand”

Florida Today
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
 
The aggressive push for oil drilling off Florida’s shores is backed by a coalition of powerful, well financed business interests – Florida Energy Associates. They are working with out of state oil interests seeking to drill for oil and gas off the coast of the Florida. They’ve hired professionals, the best and most influential money can buy. Among those professionals are former aides to Governors Jeb Bush and Lawton Chiles who both opposed oil derricks. Now these same people are trying to convince us that dirty and dangerous offshore oil drilling is now clean and desirable.
 
We’ve had a sensible moratorium against offshore oil drilling for the past 20 years and since 2002 Florida tax payers have paid $127 million dollars to oil companies to buy up their offshore leases because clean, sandy beaches are our greatest asset. Listen to the Texans who carry solvents in their beach bags. For once, let this be a case where the one with the deepest pockets didn’t win. Let them spend their $$$ exploring clean energy alternatives.
 
On Saturday February 13th “The Citizens of Florida will have an opportunity to show their opposition to oil drilling as close as 3 to 10 miles off our coast.” Hands Across the Sand is a movement “made of people of all walks of life and will cross political affiliations. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our shoreline, our tourism, our valuable properties and our way of life. Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting our waterways and beaches from the devastating effects of oil drilling.”
http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/index.php
 
Join fellow Brevard County residents on Saturday Feb. 13th at 12:30 pm (rain or shine) at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach for this important Statewide event. Bring your friends and family to show how much you love our beaches and want them protected. We will participate in a beach clean up and at 1:00pm form a line, and join hands in the sand for 10 minuets against oil drilling in our coastal waters. Participants are encouraged to wear black to represent “tar balls”.
 
Lori Wilson Park is located about a mile and a half south of S.R. 520 on A1A in Cocoa Beach. This is south of the Cocoa Beach Pier. There is no fee to park.
 
INFO: http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/index.php
CONTACT: Linda Behret lindyb@cfl.rr.com or 321-639-7302.
 
Supporting local organizations include the Space Coast Progressive Alliance SpaceCoastrogressiveAlliance.org and Brevard NOW BrevardNOW.org.

Local opponents of offshore oil drilling in Florida are joining a statewide protest to protect beaches in the Sunshine State.  Hands Across the Sand will take place Saturday on hundreds of Florida’s beaches, as concerned people dressed in black will link their arms along the shoreline in a silent and peaceful protest against oil drilling.

Local environmentalist Erika Biddle is organizing the event at several Florida Keys beaches, and is asking anyone who wants to protect the beaches from the risks of oil spills to wear black and head to a local beach at 1 p.m. Saturday.  “This is not a political thing because it concerns us all,” Biddle said Friday. “Look what the oil spills did in New Orleans after Katrina and in Australia. I would love for people to understand what it means.” 

Proposed state legislation would allow oil drilling to take place within three miles of Florida’s coast, although it would be prohibited inside the marine sanctuary that surrounds the Florida Keys.   That protection is not enough, said Billy Causey, regional manager of the National Marine Sanctuary Program and former superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Drilling in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico could have disastrous consequences in the Keys because the Loop Current constantly brings gulf water into the local marine environment.   “Any short-term benefit would not be worth the long-term risks,” Causey told The Citizen last year. Florida waterways support 5.8 million jobs and account for 79 percent of the state’s economy, he said. “If there was a spill, you would never make that revenue back. Can we really risk losing $562 billion per year?”

People like Biddle are saying, “No.”   The Hands Across the Sand protest started with a Florida restaurateur, she said.   “Now thousands of people are involved,” she said. “We can’t fight big oil with money, so we can only do it with numbers.”    Participating Keys beaches currently include Higgs Beach, Smathers Beach, Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, Anne’s Beach, Bahia Honda State Park, Sombrero Beach and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. A line of protesters will hold hands in solidarity for about 15 minutes.

For more information, go to http://www.handsacrossthesand.com or call Biddle at 305-295-0153 or e-mail her at erika.b@earthlink.net.

mbolen@keysnews.com

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3844560

Special thanks to Richard Charter Saturday, February 06, 2010 5:52 PM

Source: The Walton Sun (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.  By Deborah Wheeler, Walton Sun, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

Feb. 6–Big Oil might face big opposition in South Walton, a recent informal poll from The Sun reveals.

If the fiery responses are any indication, there should be plenty in South Walton joining hands Feb. 13 when citizens across the state of Florida protest proposed drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico.  More than 200 area locals were polled by The Sun to find out where the community stands on the measure, and many were not shy about expressing their thoughts — especially those who were opposed to the possibility of drilling 3 to 10 miles off Florida’s beaches.

“I think it would be the most irrational, emotionally charged blunder for the state of Florida and the entire country,” said artist Ari Zalace. “Coal and oil are dying technologies [and not worth] sacrificing environmental treasures for. Let’s learn something from the rest of the world. Other countries are pouring billions into sustainable energy, like wind and solar, and yet the good ol’ boy politicians in this country are still going head strong for the remaining oil and gas reserves. At what cost?”
“I will fight it with all of my energy,” said financial consultant Jane Burns. “I don’t want a bunch of Texas oil men ruining our biggest and most beautiful asset.”

Former County Commissioner Cindy Meadows agreed. “No drilling! Period,” she said.

“Tourism is our biggest asset, and it’s hard enough dealing with hurricane season. The beaches, coastal lakes and the fishing industry deserve our respect,” said art teacher Billie Gaffrey.

Although the vast majority of responses opposed nearby Gulf drilling, other residents are still squarely on the other side of the line in the sand.”With gas at $2.80 a gallon, let’s drill, baby,” said Destin’s Ernie Shillingburg.   “I am for it, why not?” said Sandestin’s Connie Niehaus.”We need to do anything and everything to decrease, or better yet end, our dependence on foreign oil,” said Niceville’s John Morris. “If it means drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, then so be it.”   “Our oil or foreign oil? Seems like an easy choice,” said Destin’s Frank Macon.

But for those on the other side, the choice was also crystal clear.   “It really is amazing. Here we have Southwest Airlines, which we hope will bring in tourists to experience our paradise. I bet they aren’t coming to see Walmart or oil drills offshore!” said Donna Pelous of Rosemary Beach.   Freeport’s Bill Stephenson’s thoughtful response was, “Only when the economy returns will it more than offset the cost of the environmental damage and the cost of repairs.    Realize our environment is priceless.”

Fears of a spill were a common thread among many respondents.   “I am against it big time!” said Realtor Harry Millsaps. “It will only be a matter of time before we have a major oil spill hit our beaches. “In this area, the benefits are not worth the risks,” said restaurant owner George Barnes.

Some suggested that those eager to drill should go west or north.  “I’ll agree to it once California does,” said Point Washington’s Karen White.
“Why not drill in Alaska; they have plenty of crude and keep our beaches white,” said Point Washington resident June Holm. “However, go ahead and drill; the sooner we run out, the sooner they will have to find an alternative fuel.”   “I’m opposed,” said Jackie Gibson. “Go to the frigid north where no one lives!”   One respondent said we could learn a thing or two from our European neighbors. “I lived in Europe 30 years ago, and when you left the house, all the lights went off,” said Seaside resident Karen Tucker. “If we would only do that – problem solved.”

But for many, the problem ran deeper.  “We can’t keep putting off finding alternative energy sources,” said Freeport resident Eileen West. “The more we avoid finding other ways to power our lives, the more we give control of our destiny to foreign governments. Drilling to get more fossil fuels to help us in the short term will not solve the problem in the long run. Americans are inventive enough to find ways to make oil obsolete. New technology is being tested everyday. Let’s move forward.”

http://www.pennenergy.com/index/blogs/washington-pulse/blogs/OGJ/washington-pulse/post987_2866464857426730017.html

US Environmental Protection Agency has created a toll-free tip-line for citizens to report non-emergency suspicious activity related to oil and gas development. Called “Eyes on Drilling,” the number for the tip-line, which EPA’s Philadelphia regional office announced on Jan. 27, is (877) 919-4EPA. Tips may be provided anonymously, it added.

The agency, which also is accepting tips by e-mail at eyesondrilling@epa.gov, said it will accept information from people who observe what appears to be disposal or wastes or other illegal activity. “While EPA doesn’t grant permits for oil and gas drilling operations, there are EPA regulations which may apply to the storage of petroleum products and drilling fluids. The agency is also very concerned about the proper disposal of waste products, and protecting air and water resources,” it continued.

The notice said that EPA wants to better understand what people are experiencing and observing as a result of oil and gas drilling activities. The information collected may also be useful in investigating industry practices, it indicated. The tips should include the location, time, and date of such activity, as well as materials, equipment, and vehicles involved, and any observable environmental impacts.

EPA’s regional office in Philadelphia clearly issued the notice because of growing interest in the Marcellus Shale natural gas formation. Production of gas from it will require hydraulic fracturing, which it said results in 20-30% of the fluid used flowing back to the surface with produced brines which contained dissolved materials from the formation, it said in the notice.

“Operators are urged to recycle their flowback water for reuse in the fraccing process, but some of the flowback is taken offsite for disposal,” it continued. “Chemicals used in the process are often stored on-site. Spills can occur when utilizing these chemicals or when transporting or storing wastewater, which can result in the contamination of surface water or ground water, which is used for many purposes including drinking water.”

The service adds another government element to an already complicated situation as Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and West Virginians try to grapple with potentially heavy gas production in areas which have no experience with it. It won’t be surprising if opponents use it to cause trouble. But it also will be there in case actual landowners and nearby residents see genuine problems.

Special thanks to Richard Charter

Hello Fellow Lovers of the Florida Coast,
 
The fight over oil drilling in Florida’s waters is a fight for the heart and soul of Florida.  Our coastlines are what brought many here, and what keep many of us here.  From the white sand beaches of barrier islands to the vast coastal marshes of the Nature Coast…..our coastlines define us, and what it means to be a Floridian.  The sands and salty air, the seagrass beds, the coastal hammocks and wetlands….they are who we are.
 
A tremendous fight is brewing in Florida over whether or not to allow oil drilling in Florida’s waters (3-9 miles offshore).  Powerful lobbyists with the incredible money of the oil industry are working hard in the Florida Legislature to abandon the Florida Dream and sell our coasts to Big Oil.  When the Legislature begins meeting next month our coastlines and our state’s future will hang in the balance.  But you can change that!
 
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13TH – HANDS ACROSS THE SAND EVENTS AND RALLIES ACROSS FLORIDA – FIGHT FOR OUR COASTS!
On Saturday Feb. 13th thousands of Floridians will gather along our coasts at beaches, boat launches, coastal parks and preserves, and near their favorite fishing holes to rally and share opposition against offshore drilling in Florida’s waters.  YOU NEED TO BE THERE!  There is still plenty of time to plan on attending, and more importantly if you live in a section of the state where there are not enough events, to organize your own local event.  To find out where local events are in your community please visit http://handsacrossthesand.com/
 
NOTE: HANDS ACROSS THE SAND ORGANIZERS ARE LOOKING FOR FOLKS IN THE UPPER NATURE COAST AND BIG BEND REGION TO HOST AND ORGANIZE LOCAL EVENTS.  THE WEBSITE IS A GREAT TOOL TO SPREAD THE WORD, AND CONTACT ORGANIZERS WHO CAN HELP.  THIS CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS GATHERING YOUR ORGANIZATION’S MEMBERS AT A LOCAL PARK OR BOAT LAUNCH, OR AT A FAVORITE COASTAL LOCATION.  MAKE SURE TO TAKE PICTURES, INVITE THE MEDIA, AND HAVE FUN.  For more assistance please contact Gulf Restoration Network (Joe Murphy, joe@healthygulf.org)
 
GULF RESTORATION NETWORK IS PARTNERING WITH PUTMAN COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL TO ORGANIZE A HANDS ACROSS THE SAND EVENT AT THE ANNUAL RIVER RALLY IN PALATKA, FLORIDA
If you are planning on attending the annual River Rally in Palatka, Florida (sponsored and organized by Putnam County Environmental Council) you can also participate in Hands Across the Sand!  Gulf Restoration Network will be partnering with PCEC and others to organize a Hands Across the Sand Event at the River Rally from 12:00 to 1:00pm EST.  Please contact Joe Murphy (joe@healthygulf.org) for more info, or Karen Ahlers (karen@pcecweb.org) for more info on River Rally.  You can also visit http://www.pcecweb.org/  for more information about River Rally (Feb. 12th – Feb. 14th).
 
Last but not least take the time today to visit http://www.protectfloridasbeaches.org/
 
This website is designed to ensure you have all the facts, data, information, and tools to be an advocate for protecting Florida’s coastlines and beaches from offshore drilling.  It is designed to ensure you can educate and activate yourself, and your community.  Now it’s time to get started!  http://www.protectfloridasbeaches.org/
 
Next time you are at the beach gaze out across that broad, beautiful horizon and try to picture it dotted with rigs.  Uuuugh!  Next time you are in a place like Aripeka or Crystal River fishing in world class waters, picture pipelines and storage tanks dotting the coast.  Noooo!  Better yet, picture yourself attending Hands Across the Sand, then writing a letter/sending an email a day to decision makers and the media about why Florida is the wrong place to drill.  Perfect.
 
 
Joe Murphy
Florida Program Director
Gulf Restoration Network
352-583-0870 (office)
813-468-0870 (cell)
Florida Office:
34413 Orchid Parkway
Ridge Manor, Fl. 33523
joe@healthygulf.org
www.healthygulf.org

Here’s the post by Ericka Biddle for the Key West Events: