As the new home of Florida PIRG's environmental work,
Environment Florida can be contacted with any questions regarding this news release.
Language
in the FY07 Department of Interior Appropriations Bill would have
eliminated Florida’s 25 year congressional moratorium against new
offshore drilling leases. In a 217 to 203 vote, the full U.S. House of
Representatives voted in support of an amendment by Reps. Putnam,
Davis, Young, Foley, and Capps that restored this critical coastal
protection.
Statement of Florida PIRG Director Mark Ferrulo:
“The
Florida Congressional delegation and Governor Bush flexed their muscle
today and defeated this short-sighted, far reaching attack on our
coastline. A united Florida delegation is indeed a powerful force.
The
fight to protect Florida’s coast from offshore drilling is far from
over. This was only round one in an expected summer long battle to
safeguard Florida’s environment and economy from the harmful impacts of
offshore drilling.
We
know that powerful allies of the oil industry in Congress will be
dangling numerous ill-conceived compromises in front of the Florida
delegation in the weeks to come. We hope the united opposition against
offshore drilling exhibited today by our Representatives will hold and
not be fractured.
Offshore
oil and gas drilling is the slowest, dirtiest and most expensive way to
produce energy. Opening our coasts to destructive drilling would do
little to lower prices or make us energy independent, but it would
threaten our beaches with pollution, potential oil spills and put at
risk multi-billion dollar coastal tourism and recreation economies.
There
are cheaper, cleaner, faster and longer-term energy solutions like
energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy that will reduce energy
costs for families.”
