Once again, we’re engulfed in a battle over drilling off Florida’s Gulf coast. Must the Sunshine State fend off drilling proposals on a monthly basis?
Two senators from the big oil-producing states of Alaska and Louisiana introduced a bill this week to permit drilling in the Gulf as close as 45 miles to our shores.
This follows an amendment attached to the Senate energy bill that would allow oil and gas platforms not only 45 miles from our coast but only 10 miles in stretches of the Panhandle. This onerous amendment could become attached to climate legislation, a deliberate strategy to make drilling palatable to the Democrats in favor of the massive climate package.
Our beaches and waters are vital to our tourism and fishing industries. We should never trade those for the dubious dreams of energy independence and cheaper fuel. The environmental threat that is offshore drilling is far too great.
To read the complete editorial, visit bradenton.com.
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