A new energy bill is being blocked by Florida Sen. Bill Nelson. The Senator believes this bill could open a gateway to oil drilling off the coast of Florida, and after incidents like the BP oil rig explosion, the Senator doesn’t want to risk his state.
Did Florida Just Dodge Another Oil Spill Disaster?
Colson Hick Eidson is no stranger to oil drilling disasters. Back in 2010 our firm was instrumental in the lawsuits that arose from the worst oil spill disaster the United States has ever seen. Balls of tar and oil rolled up on our beautiful beaches for weeks and months, local economies were hit hard, and worst yet, the spill didn’t even happen on the coast of Florida. That’s why Sen. Nelson is against opening new leases for oil and gas wells off the coast of nearby states.
Florida already has a 125-mile buffer zone that prevents new drilling near the coast, but a bill proposed by Sen. Bill Cassidy last year nearly opened up oil drilling to zones that were within 50 miles of the Florida coast. Now Sen. Cassidy is proposing a bill to offer incentives to states that open up their coasts to new drillers, but the bill has met several road blocks.
Sen. Nelson from Florida has blocked voting on the bill, and President Obama’s administration has pulled oil and gas drilling offers for leases off the coast of Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia. These efforts have effectively protected the Florida coast until 2022, when the ban on Florida drilling is set to expire.
Until then Florida will be protected from a disaster like the BP oil spill, but will this be enough? Are there too many economic advantages to opening new oil drilling? Should Florida reconsider its position? Tell us what you think on Facebook and Twitter.
A message from the Coral Gables class action attorneys at Colson Hicks Eidson—Protecting Floridians one lawsuit at a time.