U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson says drilling plan would destroy Florida

 

From U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson's prepared remarks to be delivered soon on the Senate floor about the new drilling plan (the dark blue area above would be open to drilling, storage and refinery operations):

Three years ago, Congress opened up eight million new acres to drilling in exchange for keeping the Eastern Gulf off limits to drilling until 2022. We made an agreement, and that agreement is the current law: no drilling that would destroy Florida’s economy within at least 100 miles of the shore.

Why are some people pushing to change this so soon after its passage? The oil industry, that’s why. The oil industry already has 32 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico that are leased but are not even being drilled.  And even though the industry handpicked areas opened up in 2006, it now feels it can make more of a profit by drilling closer to Florida’s coast. I don’t think Florida should have to trash its coastline and its economy just so big oil can increase its profit margin.

Of course there are far more serious implications to national security if we were to do  this. The eastern Gulf of Mexico is the last unfettered training range for all our military pilots and the Pentagon has stated drilling activities are incompatible with training.

Now, let me tell you what we would do to Florida if the Congress approved this so-called energy policy bill. Look at this picture. This is the coastline of Louisiana.

Drilling 10 miles off the coast of Florida would destroy the nation’s fourth largest state.  It would convert Florida’s world class beaches to an industrial coastline. We would trade in the world top beaches and tourist draws for an industrial wasteland dotted with transmission pipes and storage tanks and oil rigs.

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Comments

[Floriduh’s failed economic model]

But remember, we can now pump from multiple locations, as much as 40-miles away, from a single platform!

Of course it may take weeks to locate a line break in one of those multiple pumping lines as far as 40-miles long – but hey; the oil boy’s kids will get to go to Harvard!

CRASH BABY CRASH!

[wtf]

Bill Nelson is completely out of touch. This is an issue supported by the majority of folks in Florida, on both sides of the fence. Evolve Bill.

[No way Jose]

Not just no... But HELL NO to drilling off of Florida coasts.

[Proud Floridian]

Destroy Florida?

Our past two Governors have already done that.

I love Florida and only want the best for our state and all of its residence.

Wake up BILL, this is only the tip of the iceberg.

[...]

Is that Area 51 on the map?

[Nelson has no wisdom......................period]

Bill Nelson has destroyed Florida by voting with statist liberals that empowers the national government and weakens the state(s). A senator is to protect state rights vis-a-vis the federal system in the constitution. And how can someone who claims to be a devout as he does support abortion rights and more rights to muslim terrorists.

[(:)]

Floriduuh!

Last in Education; First in Corrpution!"

... go figure!

[Independent]

Drill baby drill! Cuba/China will drill sideways right into our waters...why let them have our oil and gas? Think they are clean operators?More oil polution comes from natural sources than US or European platform drilling. Florida citizens can get an annual check like Alaskans do.

[Grouper]

Why are we even talking about oil??? We need renewable sources of energy.

China is beating us at wind turbine production and solar. Why continue this moronic debate. Get with the times people!

[I miss America]

Independent,

China just bought several American car companies... and you're b-tching about them stealing "our oil and gas".

Wake up Dorothy... nothing is "ours" anymore... not even "our" culture and history".

[Obama is the anti-American President.......thanks for voting for him idiots.]

A shallow, manipulative and egotistical amateur who is in over his head,
Obama has tried to play Lincoln, Reagan, JFK and FDR-- but in the end he can only play himself, a shallow, manipulative and egotistical amateur who is in over his head, and trying to drag the country down with him. Obama’s White House is falling down and while the flashbulbs are still glittering and the parties are going on in D.C. and around the world, Obama and the Democratic Congress may be headed for a recession of their own.

[Someone Pinch Me]

Bill Nelson, while loudly criticizing oil drilling, is doing more to destroy Florida than 100 Oil Rigs could ever do.

Ask Bill about his and Mel's plan to offer illegal aliens In-State Tuition Rates for our colleges and universities.

But wait, there's more: If your child wants to go to college in say, Virginia, you pay out-of-state rates. If a Virginian wants to study here; they pay out-of-state rates.

With this bill, the ILLEGAL ALIEN will be charged in-state rates in ALL 50 STATES!

There are provisions to allow a quicker path to citizenship EVEN IF THE ALIEN HAS BEEN DEPORTED AND REFUSED TO GO!

Call and Email these two clowns and tell them to DRILL MORE and STOP THE ILLEGAL ALIEN AMMENSTY GIVE-AWAY!!!

Oh and to the Floriduh fool, try updating your rhetoric. Florida’s education system has been doing much better since Jeb and we are now in the top third nationwide.

[JB's BBQ]

Bill Nelson is an idiot.

[John]

Polls show Floridians and Americans want more drilling.

Why is Sen. Nelson going against the people's wishes?

[youngrepublican]

We may not have to drill off the Florida Gulf coast. We just need OPEC to believe we are drilling and capping our new strategic reserves, keeping them in check. While this will keep worldwide oil prices lower we can on the east coast of Florida start using the Florida Gulf Stream to use underwater ocean current conversion for electricity and more energy independents. Just a thought not a thesis.

[Texas Beach Tar Balls]

Please, no tar balls on Florida's beaches. We can't afford to lose our tourism jobs. The oil companies have 8 million acres to drill so go do that first. Leave our beautiful beaches and our tourism jobs alone!

[slick440]

The oil we're afraid to drill for in the Gulf is floating to the surface anyway. Its all over the surface from natural seepage. Drilling reduces this seepage, and its quite logical why. The drilling reduces pressure which reduces seepage.

http://www.universetoday.com/2009/02/04/where-in-the-universe-41/gulfmex_tmo_2006133/

[slick440]

About half of the oil in the ocean bubbles up naturally from the seafloor, with Earth giving it up freely like it was of no value. Likewise, NASA satellites collect thousands of images every year, but some of them get passed over because no one thinks there is a use for them.

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/oilslick.html

[Tour Florida's Coast]

WE understand there are a lot of people who just don't know what goes on offshore therefore some of the comments here are only misinformed people, that is understandable. I used to work offshore for many years and I saw the negligence first hand and it wasn't just an isolated incident, its called gross negligence and its happening from the Alabama line to the Texas line, its only workers trying to be loyal, but one thing you have to realize is the intelligence level of those working out there is very low and they will do anything their direct supervisor tells them to do because they are making really good income and fear losing it if they refuse to do what they are told. Exploration needs to stay away from Florida. CEO/ http://tourfloridascoast.com/gulfoildrillingdebate.html

[TurkeyWatchman]

Please, you oil junkies are just the same as the other side... give me more, more, more... even though you have no concept that this will do nothing for you except place your beaches at risk!

We will not gain one dollar from allowing these rigs off our shores! Our coastal financial growth comes from our beaches and tourism and this will place that at risk! I am flabergasted at the willingness to allow such recklessness at the mere gain of what... giving in to propaganda?!?!
We cannot produce enough oil in the US to do anything to our prices and therefore our national security. Stop living in fantasy and remove yourselves from this dilusion.

[JoeThePlumber]

Why is the price of gasoline going up when demand is down?

If supply and demand has nothing to do with it, then increasing the supply won't necessarily change anything.

[David]

TOURISM TO OUR BEACHES, not OIL, is Florida's #1 natural asset. And TOURISM is a RENEWABLE RESOURCE.

Why jeopardize $560 BILLION a year in tourism revenue for the "potential" of what the oil industry admits is only a few billion dollars? THIS IS INSANE!

The damage to the environment is apparent: EVER HEARD OF ANY GREAT BEACHES IN TEXAS?? (I didn't think so!)

STOP BIG OIL FROM RAPING OUR COAST BEFORE WE BECOME THE TEXAS OF THE EASTERN GULF!

If you want to help us ween ourselves off of oil, GET RID OF YOUR DAMN GAS-SUCKING SUV'S!!!

SUPPORT SENATOR NELSON!!

[2:34 believes the propaganda]

hey 2:34,how big a check did Alaskans get this past year? What? didn't hear you?
OK take two to three % percent of that which is the amount the oil companies say we would pump compared to Alaskan oil,also what is our population difference? We have more people in one city as they do the entire state.
You COULD get as much as $2 dollars
Is that the check you are talking about?
Don't be a moron,oil companies are trying to line up assets for the future.they are assets that belong to us,the citizens of Florida that we will not get paid for until oil is pumped,but they are still assets to the oil companies worth potentially trillions in the future.
Leave oil for the future!
LEAVE OUR GRAND KIDS OIL ALONE!!!
Leave just a little you greedy oil puppet!
Use less oil,it brings down the price!

[2:34 believes the propaganda]

hey 2:34,how big a check did Alaskans get this past year? What? didn't hear you?
OK take two to three % percent of that which is the amount the oil companies say we would pump compared to Alaskan oil,also what is our population difference? We have more people in one city as they do the entire state.
You COULD get as much as $2 dollars
Is that the check you are talking about?
Don't be a moron,oil companies are trying to line up assets for the future.they are assets that belong to us,the citizens of Florida that we will not get paid for until oil is pumped,but they are still assets to the oil companies worth potentially trillions in the future.
Leave oil for the future!
LEAVE OUR GRAND KIDS OIL ALONE!!!
Leave just a little you greedy oil puppet!
Use less oil,it brings down the price!