As the new home of Florida PIRG's environmental work,
Environment Florida can be contacted with any questions regarding this news release.
Today,
in a 37 to 25 vote, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee voted to
eviscerate the bipartisan, bicoastal Congressional moratorium on new
offshore drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) that has
protected our fragile coast for 22 years.
Statement of Florida PIRG Director Mark Ferrulo:
“Today’s
vote in Congress represents the most far reaching and damaging attack
on Florida’s coastal protections against offshore drilling that we have
ever seen.
For
decades, Congress has granted nearly every wish that the oil and gas
industry has asked for, nearly always at the expense of the environment
and consumers. Today’s vote is more of the same – false promises to
consumers and more profits for the fossil fuel barons.
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 and potential oil spills and put at
risk multi-billion dollar coastal tourism economies and fishing
industries.
There
are cheaper, cleaner, faster and longer-term energy solutions like
energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy that will start saving
consumers and businesses money today and protect our beaches, marine
waters and coastal economies.
The
20 year battle to protect Florida’s world famous beaches and marine
waters now shifts to the full House of Representatives. We can win this
fight, but only if the Florida Congressional delegation unites in
opposition and says “no” to drilling rigs as close as 10 miles from our
coast.”
