Senators Martinez, Nelson craft gulf drilling deal (Florida)

[seafan]

Martinez, Nelson craft gulf drilling deal

By WES ALLISON, Times Staff Writer
Published February 1, 2006


WASHINGTON - Alarmed by recent attempts to encourage oil and gas drilling off Florida's Gulf Coast, the state's U.S. senators are pushing for broader and permanent protection.
If it wins congressional approval, a bill crafted by Republican Sen. Mel Martinez and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson would keep oil rigs as far as 260 miles off Florida's west coast. That's far more protection than any of the other drilling deals recently debated in Congress.

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Martinez and Nelson have scheduled a news conference for this morning. According to a draft obtained by the St. Petersburg Times, the bill would ban drilling east of the U.S. military's training area in the gulf, some 260 miles off Tampa Bay and 150 miles off the Panhandle.
A no-drilling buffer of 150 miles also would surround the state's southern and eastern shores.

In exchange, oil companies could seek permits to drill in the south-central section of Lease-Sale Area 181, a boxy chunk of gulf real estate about the size of Vermont. Companies with existing drilling rights within the new boundaries would be compensated.

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Specifically, the deal would protect the so-called "stovepipe" section of Area 181, just 20 miles off Pensacola, and block exploration in the eastern part of Area 181, which oil companies have been eyeing.

Area 181 totals about 6-million acres. The Bush administration opened 2-million acres to drilling in 2001, and federal prohibitions on drilling in the rest start to expire next year.
Nelson's and Martinez's bill would protect the 3.2-million acres of Area 181 closest to shore, while allowing drilling in about 800,000 acres, according to a draft.

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http://www.sptimes.com/2006/02/01/Worldandnation/Martinez__Nelson_craf.shtml

[seafan]

1. More

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On Tuesday, Martinez's and Nelson's staffs briefed aides to at least eight U.S. House members from Florida, including Mike Bilirakis, R-Tarpon Springs; Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Broward County; Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale; and Jim Davis, D-Tampa, a leading drilling opponent who is running for governor and who has opposed past compromises.

Attendees said the bill was generally well-received //snip



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Representatives from several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, the Florida Public Interest Research Group and the League of Conservation Voters, also met recently at the Defenders of Wildlife office in downtown Washington to review a draft of the plan.

The reception was positive, attendees said. Mark Ferrulo, director of Florida PIRG in Tallahassee, which has been fighting drilling for more than 20 years, said his organization plans to back the bill.
"This legislation represents a laundry list of protections we've long fought for. It actually expands our current areas that would be protected, and makes it permanent," Ferrulo said.

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It would mark a significant political victory for Nelson, who is up for re-election this year. Republican leaders may not want to hand that victory to him. Martinez would benefit, too, but he's not up for re-election until 2010.

[Orangepeel]

2. It's a victory for Nelson either way

he either gets it done or he proves that a republican darling of the administration can't get it done either, taking away the one tiny advantage that Katherine Harris might have over him with anyone who isn't a raging right wing nut type of conservative.

He might win by 40 points.

[seafan]

3. This sounds like a viable solution, although don't know any more details.

If long-standing environmental groups, Nelson, Davis, Wasserman-Schultz are mostly positive on it, it's a good sign.

This has been such a contentious battle that never gets resolved, that it would be a giant relief to nail it down into something good, once and for all.

I am sick to death of regressives, thieves and charlatans holding this beautiful state hostage.

[oneighty]

4. "Once and for all"

Never happen. As the gas gage needle in the SUV starts indicating empty the drilling will commence.

This is show and tell for today's TV watchers.

180

[seafan]

5. As long as this republican aberration wields absolute power over

the Governor's mansion and legislature, and is steeped in the *crush the enemy* mentality, you may be correct.