Buchanan, Castor bill seeks a permanent ban on oil drilling off the Florida coast
Two of Southwest Florida’s congressional leaders are working together on new legislation that would permanently ban oil drilling off the Florida coast.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor announced that they are re-introducing a bill in the U.S. House to capitalize on the current moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, which is set to expire next year.
“The fatal explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and massive spill into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was one of the worst environmental disasters in history,” Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, said in a press release. “We can’t risk another spill that would threaten our economy, our environment and our way of life.”
The Florida Coastal Protection Act would make the current moratorium, which protects waters up to 235 miles off Florida’s west coast from oil drilling, permanent.
Buchanan worked with Castor, D-Tampa, on a similar bill in 2019, but after the Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act passed in the House 248-180, it did not receive a vote in the Senate. Most of Florida’s congressional delegation has already co-sponsored the bill.
“Here in the Sunshine State, our natural resources and beautiful beaches are central to our way of life and the cornerstone of our economy,” Castor said. “We have seen the devastating impacts of oil and gas drilling off of our shores are coming together, Democrats and Republicans, to once again introduce legislation to protect our coasts — permanently.”
In 2018, Buchanan spoke out against the Trump administration’s plan to remove some of the regulations in the oil drilling industry. Now, Buchanan says protections are more important than ever, especially with red tide threatening the area.
“This naturally occurring harmful algal bloom has had a very damaging impact. It would be a huge mistake to allow drilling and be forced to confront another catastrophic spill,” Buchanan said.
In a press release from her own office, Castor blamed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for delaying a vote on the bill. With a new administration and new Congressional leadership, she said she’s confident the bill will be signed into law.
“We overwhelmingly passed this bill last Congress, and it’s my hope, with a Democratic majority in the Senate, that we can get this bill to President Biden’s desk for signature,” Castor said. “The future of our way of life depends on decisive action.”
