Dear Neighbor,
Once again the Florida Legislature will debate on whether or not to allow oil drilling 3-10 miles off the Florida coast. I would like to give you some information to think about with regard to offshore drilling, and why I am opposing it at this time.
My first concern is the potential environmental impact. According to the Office of Response and Restoration under NOAA, the Gulf of Mexico has the most oil spills in the world. In fact, we have more spills in our Gulf, than the #2 and #3 sites combined (Northeast US and the Mediterranean Sea).
Environmentally, even a minor oil spill would be devastating to our pristine coastline and wildlife preserves, refuge to numerous endangered species. An oil spill would also be devastating to our economy, both locally and state-wide. In 2009, an oil spill near Port Arthur, Texas caused the shorelines to be closed for more than 5 days. Here in Pinellas County, shutting down our beaches could result in a $10M loss to local businesses. Stretched out over 5 days, this could amount to almost $50 million dollars in revenue lost. We simply cannot afford to risk harming our shores, environmentally or economically.
Those who favor oil drilling, claim it will bring jobs to Florida. But there is no guarantee that Floridians will be obtaining these jobs, or even what kind of economic boost these jobs will provide. This is not a good tradeoff for the jobs that could potentially be lost if a spill were to occur, not to mention the jobs potentially lost should our horizons become filled with oil rigs.
Florida, and Pinellas County specifically, relies on the dollars that our beautiful beaches and wildlife bring in. It is time we stop gambling with our shorelines.
Charlie Justice
** Charlie Justice is currently a State Senator, representing District 16. Charlie is a candidate for the US Congress in the 10th Congressional District. Fpr more information on Charlie, visit www.charliejustice.com. ***
