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OIL DRILLING: WRONG FOR FLORIDA THEN; WRONG FOR FLORIDA NOW
Drilling Would Damage Florida’s Economy. We aren't like other states, tourism is the backbone of our economy. Should we threaten our most important industry?
- Drawing millions of visitors each year, Florida's clear waters, world-class beaches and coral reefs support $53 billion tourism industry, a $14 billion marine industry and a fishing industry that injects more than $6 billion a year to Florida' communities. 1
- One quarter of all Americans go swimming in natural waterways every year, that's 1.8 billion trips annually to US waters to fish, swim, boat or just relax. 2 Given the choice, don't we want them to take that trip down here to the beautiful beaches of Florida?
- Florida's tourism industry generated $65 billion in 2006, with $16.3 billion generated in payroll to the 964,700 Floridians directly employed in tourism. 3
- A 2007 University of Delaware Study concluded that beach closures cost the City of Galveston, Texas over $171,000.00 per day in lost business revenue. The study was done without consideration of the cost of lodging, as the Study's authors determined that Texas beachgoers primarily "day trip" to the beach. In Florida, our vacationers stay for days, weeks, and even months at a time. We have far more to lose than Texas. 4
- In 2002, Governor Jeb Bush and President George Bush deemed a moratorium on drilling in Florida to be so important to Florida's economy, that they committed $115 million in federal funds in a negotiated agreement with oil companies to "buy back" the long-litigated drilling rights to the Florida Panhandle coast. Said Governor Jeb Bush, "Thanks to the President's support, we are guaranteeing the preservation of our environment-based economy and quality of life." 5
- Florida's leaders of both political parties have recognized the value of our shores to our economy. Per Governor Jeb Bush, "Expanding environmental protection to include Florida's offshore jurisdictional boundaries protects our quality of life and safeguards the vitality of our ocean-based economy." 6
- The United States Coast Guard is the "first responder" when an oil spill endangers our environment. 7 Here in Florida, the Coast Guard is busy enough protecting our citizens and visitors from illegal activity. Why should we compromise the safety and security of our own state for the supposed "benefit" of the other 49 states?
- State sales tax related to Florida tourism was $3.9 billion in 2006 (18 percent of taxes collected). 8 Without such tourist-related revenues, how would we fund our already strapped governmental agencies, schools and infrastructure?
Hurricanes and Oil Don’t Mix. Nearly every hurricane in recent memory has caused some type of spillage. Does it make any sense to put rigs near Florida, a major "Hurricane Zone"? Don't we have enough to worry about when we get struck by a storm?
Hurricanes Destroy Rigs and Create Spills. The Gulf of Mexico is an especially hazardous location for new drilling rigs, given the frequency of hurricanes.
- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed over 100 drilling rigs and platforms and over 450 pipelines.9
- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita resulted in 125 spills from platforms, rigs, and pipelines, totaling 685,000 gallons of oil lost into the sea. 10 When you consider the onshore spills into that estimate, then the combined total spillage is over 9 million gallons, as estimated by the Department of Homeland Security. 11
- According to the oil industry's own assessment, Hurricane Ivan caused oil pipelines to fail in the mud slide areas off the mouth of the Mississippi River, which would "take a significant effort to locate and repair." Hurricane Ivan also destroyed a number of production platforms in the U.S. Gulf. 12
- Hurricane Hugo, in 1989 caused damage to a refinery which led to a significant oil spill. 13
- Hurricane Andrew damaged or destroyed nearly 300 manned and unmanned platforms due to the combined effects of wind and waves. 14
- When Hurricane Floyd wreaked havoc on the East Coast from the Carolinas to New York City, the US Coast Guard coordinated responses to the various disasters left in its wake- including an oil spill. 15
Don’t Buy the Lie: Gas Prices Will Not Be Affected.
- The Department of Energy says offshore drilling will not make gas cheaper for at least ten years, and even then, the difference would be negligible. 16
- Because oil prices are determined on the international market, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant. 17
- We know more drilling doesn’t mean lower gas prices – because we’ve already tried. The number of new offshore drilling permits has tripled since 2001 – and so have gas prices. 18
- In the U.S., we have less than three percent of the world’s oil. Nonetheless, a record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleum products were exported during the first four months of this year, up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same period in 2007. The biggest share of U.S. oil products exported went to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Singapore and Brazil. 19 Why would we be exporting all this oil, if we in fact, needed it?
We Have Cleaner, Safer Choices
If our cars and trucks got an average of a couple more miles per gallon, we’d save more oil than exists off the entire coast of Florida. Yet federal gas mileage standards haven’t significantly changed in 20 years. Instead of allowing oil companies to drill off our coast, our governor and congressional delegation should be leading the fight in Washington and in Tallahassee for better gas mileage and clean energy. 20
"Florida is a leader in coastal resource management", said Former Governor Jeb Bush. 21 Florida's citizens have always made the right choices when it comes to their environment, committing billions of dollars, and millions of hours to protect their ocean-based economy. Other states have not been so careful with their environment. Why should Floridians lose the value achieved by their own responsible choices for the supposed "benefit" of states with rampant pollution and environmental degradation?
1 Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Press Release, April 21, 2004. http://dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2004/april/0421.htm.
2 Environmental Protection Agency, Liquid Assets: A Summertime Perspective on the Importance of Clean Water to the Nation's economy. EPA 800-R-96-002-1996
3 Tourism Fast Facts" www.visitflorida.org
4 University of Delaware Dept of Economics, Working Paper 2008-10. http://lerner.udel.edu/economics/workingpaper.htm
5 Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Press Release, May 29, 2002. http://dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2002/02-govdrill.htm
6 Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Press Release, April 21, 2004. http://dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2004/april/0421.htm
7 Department of Defense video clip date June 17, 2008. http://dodvclips.mil/?fr_story=FRdamp278609&rf=sitemap
8 Florida Attractions Association. FAA News Article, August 6, 2008.
9 United States Dept of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, New Reesease. Update, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Damage. May 1, 2006.
10 United States Dept of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Estimated Petroleum Spillage from Facilities Associated with Federal Outer Continental Shelf, (OCS) Oil and Gas Activities Resulting from Damages Caused by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. August 8, 2006.
11 From Introduction to Homeland Security Report May 8, 2006 submitted to Congressional Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Committee on Appropriations. Entitled, Report to Congress: Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Hurricane Impact.
12 Petroleum News, Ocotober 17, 2004.
13 NRC, 1994. Hurricane Hugo, Committee on Natural Disasters, Nationsl Research Council. National Academy Press, Wash. D.C.
14 "Analysis and Performance of Offshore Platforms in Hurricanes." 7th US National Conference on Wind Engineering, Los Angeles.
15 United States Coast Guard Visual Information Gallery, ID#200025
16 U.S. Dept of Energy, Energy Information Agency, "Impacts of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf', 2007. U.S. Dept of Energy, Energy Information Agency, "State Energy Profiles"
17 U.S. Dept of Energy, Energy Information Agency, "Impacts of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf', 2007.
18 The Truth About America’s Energy: Big Oil Stockpiles Supplies and Pockets Profits, A Special Report by the US House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources Majority Staff, June 2008.
19 http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKN0325640920080703?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10174
20 U.S. Dept of Energy, Energy Information Agency, "Impacts of Increased Access to Oil and Natural Gas Resources in the Lower 48 Federal Outer Continental Shelf', 2007. U.S. Dept of Energy, Energy Information Agency, "State Energy Profiles"
21 Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Press Release, April 21, 2004. http://dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2004/april/0421.htm.
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