Florida officials displayed a united front in opposition to the Trump administration plan.
The Trump administration’s proposal to expand oil and gas drilling off U.S. waters excited the “drill, baby, drill” crowd. Florida’s elected officials forcefully responded, “no, baby, no.”
Thankfully, the administration listened.
Last week, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke proposed a five-year plan beginning next year that would open up 90 percent of U.S. offshore oil and gas reserves to development by private companies. If approved, that would be a seismic shift: Currently, 94 percent of the outer continental shelf is off-limits to drilling.
Industry groups and other supporters argue the move would increase national energy security by making the United States less dependent on foreign oil, boost economic growth and create thousands of new jobs.
But it also would put the U.S. coastline at greater risk of being despoiled by an oil spill. Nowhere would that potentially have a more destructive environmental and economic impact than in Florida, a state that is virtually all coastline and whose economy relies heavily on its beaches and surrounding waters for tourism and fishing.
These fears aren’t theoretical, nor do you have to look very far back for evidence of the dangers to Florida from offshore drilling.
(READ: Trump administration proposes vast expansion of offshore drilling)
The 2010 accident on BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig off the coast of Louisiana triggered the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Oil debris crossed the Gulf and washed ashore in Florida from Pensacola to Panama City. But the economic impact ranged all the way down the state’s west coast as many tourists canceled trips because they feared approaching oil. Even Daytona Beach and other tourist destinations on the Atlantic coast had to dispel misperceptions that the oil was coming ashore there as well.
In 2015, BP agreed to pay Florida $3.25 billion in damages over 18 years, including $2 billion in economic redress, the most of any Gulf Coast state.
And all that was from a spill that occurred hundreds of miles away. If the Trump administration policy were implemented, the danger would be much closer, its potential effects on Florida greatly magnified.
There was another reason to oppose expanding offshore drilling near the Sunshine State. A congressional agreement in 2006 prohibits drilling within 125 miles of the Panhandle and 235 miles off Tampa Bay in order to facilitate military air and sea training operations. The Pentagon, in a letter to Congress this year, said it “cannot overstate the vital importance of maintaining this moratorium,” which is set to expire in 2022.
With the state’s environment, economy and military bases endangered by this policy proposal, it was imperative that Florida officials display a united front in opposition to the Trump administration plan, and execute a full-court political press to protect the state’s interests.
The bipartisan reaction was encouraging. Gov. Rick Scott, a Trump ally who is running for U.S. Senate this year, asked for an immediate meeting with Zinke, saying, “My top priority is to ensure that Florida’s natural resources are protected.” Another Trump supporter, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, whose district includes Volusia and Flagler counties and who is running for the open governorship, said he stood with Scott in opposing the drilling plan. Sens. Bill Nelson, a Democrat, and Marco Rubio, a Republican, also stand together in opposition.
Tuesday evening, the administration capitulated. After meeting with Zinke, Scott announced that Florida was “off the table” for future oil drilling.
Perhaps the current restrictions on offshore drilling go too far; maybe there’s a compromise to be found somewhere between putting 94 percent of the coast off limits and opening up 90 percent of it that meets America’s energy needs. But Florida’s unique geography made it deserving of special protections. Hopefully, Washington got the message loud and clear, now and for the future.