It’s time to ban offshore excavations near the Florida Forever Column

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden issued historic protections for both the Gulf Coast of Florida and the US coastline. The designation came after years of bipartisan support was rooted in public advocacy and community involvement. We celebrated this groundbreaking achievement in protecting Florida’s environment, economy, national security and lifestyle. Permanent protection meant that the threat of a catastrophic oil blow-off would become a relic of the past forever. Our efforts to protect our coasts have been a bipartisan effort, especially in Florida. It was recently explained in a partnership with Rep. Vern Buchanan (FL-16) to introduce a bipartisan Florida Coastal Protection Act aimed at permanently banning drilling in Florida. Coast. It is something the parties should agree to protect our coasts from excavation forever.

Unfortunately, President Donald Trump issued a shortsighted and illegal executive order on his first day in office, trying to withdraw these much-needed protections. If endured, Trump’s order could once again make our coastal waters vulnerable to future oil drilling and pollution. This decision will not only hurt coastal communities, businesses and national security. It faces well-documented opposition to offshore drilling in this state and beyond.

Thousands of Florida businesses are steadfast against our marine oil and gas development, and more than 100 Florida cities and towns oppose this threat to our coastline A resolution has been passed. Almost every elected Florida official has opposed offshore drilling, and the Floridians themselves voted overwhelmingly in 2018 to ban oil drilling in Sunshine’s coastal waters. The Tampa Bay Beach Chamber of Commerce has long opposed offshore drilling dating back to the mid-2000s, but claims that expanded offshore drilling threatens coastal operations. With nearly 800 member companies representing tens of thousands of employees from Sand Key to Pass Agrill, you need permanent protection from excavation to keep your beach healthy and your business thrives.

In fact, President Trump used the same powers as President Biden under the Continental Shelf Land Act of 2020 to withdraw from the Southeast Atlantic and Gulf Coast, from South Carolina to Florida, and withdrawing from 10 years of drilling. But these protections are only temporary reprieves, and Sunshine State soon faces the effects of a horrific oil spill that has destroyed so many communities and economies in the United States thanks to Trump’s inappropriate reversal. I was able to accept it. It may seem comforting that Trump’s protections are in place until 2032, but he has shown an appetite to push protection aside. If successful, the action would open up the eastern Gulf of Mexico to offshore drilling. The industry says it wants now, and Florida coasts are at a higher risk of oil and gas drilling and spills.

National security and defense leaders have argued that offshore drilling with infrastructure and flammable activity is incompatible with the mission of the US military and thus undermines national security. The Gulf Coast of Florida is home to the Eastern Gulf Coast’s testing and training range, the largest military testing and training range in the continent of the United States. Military bases and their surrounding communities need not worry about oil drilling that hinders their mission to protect our country.

Millions of Floridians and Americans across the country rely on healthy, thriving coastlines. Permanent protection of these waters from oil spills not only saves the surrounding environment, but also protects the coastal economy and important American work. Our marine economy tourism and recreation sectors showed the largest growth nationwide in 2021, up 27.3%, or $49.8 billion. Biden’s protection ensured that most of the US exclusive economic zone would be saved forever from offshore oil and gas drilling. Only one of our coastal states could be closed and ending on closed beaches, businesses have closed doors and communities are poisoned from the poisonous sludge oozing into the waters and coasts.

Successful coastal businesses and communities rely on oceans free of harmful oil spills. When businesses drill, they know they’re spilling. Without lifelong coastal protection, it’s not a question of whether there’s another oil spill, but when and how serious. In the US alone, there were at least 5,900 oil spills between 2010 and 2019. This is an average of two outflows per day.

It’s not just Floridians who are looking for to protect our coast. Thousands of lawmakers and hundreds of municipalities have come out strongly against offshore oil and gas drilling, along with Republicans and Democrats in the US coastline. Lawmakers have been hearing clearly from constituents who want to prevent a deadly oil spill that destroys coastlines and local economies for years.

The Oceana poll, released last July, was conducted by nonpartisan market research and consulting firm Ipsos, where two-thirds of American voters and 70% of young voters have gone from new offshore drilling of US coastlines. He revealed that he supports elected officials to protect. In 2018, 68% of Floridians voted to ban oil drilling in state waters (only nine miles offshore). It is clear that there is a common bipartisan basis for protecting our oceans.

Having a clean, abundant ocean – we can live, secure our livelihoods, and create lasting memories with family and friends – something that every striped American can agree. Protecting our beautiful and important waters from more toxic oil spills will save coastal communities and economies that will help drive our great nations.

Once again, our members have wanted lawmakers to work together to resolve issues that will affect their health, their wallets and future. That’s why protecting our coasts is a matter of victory for lawmakers, leaders and the public who understand how important our coastline is to a prosperous and rich America. .

There is never a time when the risks and harms from future drilling will outweigh Florida’s coastal economic interest and national defense. Unlike the protections President Trump previously provided Florida, oil spills do not have an expiration date. These disasters continue to occur unless the coast is protected from the dangers of offshore drilling.

Clean water and clean beaches are key to Florida’s environment, economy and lifestyle. We must protect our coasts and continue to drill oil far from Florida.

Democrat Kathy Caster is the US representative for Tampa. Robin Miller is the former CEO of Tampa Bay Beach Chamber of Commerce