Lawmaker pushes for offshore energy exploration - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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It’s a proposal that proponentd say would provide the state with the economivc stimulus it so badly but one that environmentalists fear could wreak havoc onthe state’ tourism industry and Florida’s speaker-designate, state Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, on Tuesday unveiled the late-session proposap that would give the governo and Cabinet the power to consider applications to conduct offshoresenergy exploration.
With less than two weekss left inthe session, the Hous Policy Council passed the bill Tuesday on a 17-7 However, a similar measure has been stallec in the Florida If passed by the legislature, the bill wouldd result in the reversal of a ban on such drilling that’as been in place for three decades. Environmental groups, includiny the , , , and , vehemently oppose the plan andquestiom Cannon’s motives in introducing it late in the “A decision of this magnitudd warrants robust discussion both legislative and public and the idea that it can be adde d to a bill at the last minutde is troubling,” said Juliee Wraithmell, wildlife policy coordinator for Audubon of Florida.
She said the fear is not only about acatastrophixc spill, but the potential for the day-to-day leaks that can occur in transportation from rigs and througy pipelines. But, at least one businessw organization is backingthe “Florida’s families and businesses are facinh unprecedented economic challenges, and the potential for new public revenues from oil and gas are said Barney Bishop III, president and CEO of “I am confident that we can do this in a way that will protect our environment and our precious coastline, whic is such a critical natural resource for our Bishop called the new drilling initiative an opportunity, but addeds it is not a guarantee that drillingt will occur.
“It’s been our politicians that are panderinbg to other interests that have beenagains this,” he said. “As much as we all want to move in a greenj direction of renewable energy and the truthis we’re all goinyg to have to rely on fossil fuelzs for the next generation, at a minimum.” Proponents argue that oil and gas leasea could generate billions of dollars in new annual revenuer – without raising new AIF presented information about Cuba’s recent oil and the revenue that neighboring states receive from oil Florida’s waters don’t have nearly the amount of knownh oil deposits that Texas and Louisiana but there are two known oil fieldsa with millions of barrels of reservesd – the northern Jay and Blackjacmk field and the southern Sunniland Field.
Henrt Fishkind, an economist with in said the state couldexpecr $31 billion in new revenure over 20 years with the current estimates of oil AIF has pointed out that transporting oil is where the bigges t risk for spills lies. Proponents point to a recent Mason-Dixohn poll that found 59 percent of Floridians generall y support drillingoff Florida’s coast. The surveh found 79 percent would support drilling if it raisee moneyfor education, health care and environmental “Recent public opinion surveys document that Floridians have come to stronglt support exploration and production of oil and gas resources off the Floridqa coast,” said Larry Harris, a principal with Mason-Dixon.
“Nine in 10 voters (88 percent) support offshore production if it is done in an environmentallyh safe fashion and raisessignificant revenues, boosts the economy and creates jobs.”