Gov. Scott praises reversal of plans for offshore drilling in Florida

During a visit to Manatee Technical College on Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott praised the reversal of plans for offshore drilling in Florida.

Scott met Tuesday evening with U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in Tallahassee, a meeting that resulted in Zinke’s decision to remove Florida’s coastal waters from consideration for offshore oil drilling.

“This is a big day for our state, to get the secretary of interior to say we’re not going to do offshore drilling, he (Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.) should be happy. This is not about politics, it’s about policy, and so this is a good day for our state. I’m going to continue to fight for our environment,” Scott said Wednesday at MTC.

Zinke announced on Jan. 4 parts of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic waters, were part of a draft proposal consisting of 47 new leases to expand offshore oil drilling expeditions.

Following Tuesday’s 5:45 p.m. meeting, Zinke said part of his consideration in the decision is Florida’s reliance on tourism for economic development.

That’s something Scott said he’s emphasized to Zinke and added that he has adamantly opposed drilling off Florida’s shores.

“People are moving here because of our beaches they like. I mean think about it: How many people, percentage of our population, lives along our coasts? ... Because we all like to go out to our beaches and enjoy them,” Scott said.

He also pointed to the military’s use of the coasts for training as reasons for the state’s exemption from the proposal.

“I’m going to fight to make sure this is a place our kids and our grandkids want to live,” Scott said.

Zinke said there would be no new drilling or platforms, but seismic testing would be allowed, according to Politico.

Nelson took to Twitter to voice frustration with the agreement, calling it a political stunt to help Scott.

“We shouldn’t be playing politics with the future of Florida,” Nelson tweeted Tuesday.

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, tweeted his support for Scott and Florida’s congressional delegation Tuesday and their opposition to drilling.

“Great news: Trump administration has canceled plans to drill off Florida’s coastline. Kudos to Governor Scott and Florida’s congressional delegation for strongly protesting the initial plan to expand drilling,” the tweet said.

On whether he would challenge Nelson for his Senate seat at the end of his term as governor, Scott said he still has 362 days left in office and is focused on “making sure this is a state everybody wants to live in.”

This story was originally published January 10, 2018 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Gov. Scott praises reversal of plans for offshore drilling in Florida."