By LEAH STRATMANN
As far as most environmentalists are concerned, the genie that has protected Florida waters from oil exploration is out of the bottle, but whether or not the genie will be allowed to exercise its considerable power is not assured. Like most issues, there are two sides to the question, but clearly those wishing to protect the beaches, waterways, and tourism of Florida are outmanned and certainly out spent by the considerable lobby employed by the oil and gas industry.
In the waning days of the 2009 Florida legislative session, a measure was passed by the House to allow for oil and gas drilling. The measure died in the state Senate in part because state senators and the governor felt there was not enough time to publicly explore the issue. Alex Sink, the current chief financial officer of the state and a candidate to replace Gov. Charlie Crist, is opposed to the measure. Crist has gone from vocal opponent of drilling to middle ground as he seeks higher elective office.
Locally, there are people talking about the issue as well. Seaside businessman Dave Rauschkolb is the founder of a movement called Hands Across the Sand, which is calling for a statewide demonstration of opponents to drilling off the shores of Florida. He is generating buzz statewide with his proposal to have thousands of Floridians join hands on Feb. 13 in a show of opposition to drilling. The Website, handsacrossthesand.org says, “In the near future the citizens of Florida will have an opportunity to show their opposition to oil drilling as close as three to 10 miles off our coast. This movement will be made of people of all walks of life and will cross political affiliations. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our shoreline, our tourism, our valuable properties and our way of life. Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting our waterways and beaches from the devastating effects of oil drilling.”
Rauschkolb is the founder of the movement, designed the Website and wrote the mission statement. The mission statement says the group wants to raise awareness of the pending legislation, likely to crop up again during the 2010 session, as well as organizing a statewide coastal movement to protest the legislation and by bringing thousands to the shore to draw a physical and metaphorical line in the sand, thus convincing state legislators to abandon measures to allow drilling.
Most of the information available specifically addresses drilling for oil, but Santa Rosa Beach geophysicist Alan Swiercz says the science isn’t there to support drilling for oil, as the real cash crop would be natural gas. “The beauty of drilling in the near shore is the royalties are greater, somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 to 25 percent. The normal process would be to consult the scientists for the seismic date. The scientists would then nominate a lease to the state. For the good prospects, bids can range from one-half million to $100 million just for the right to drill a well.” Swiercz pointed out state waters extend to 10 miles out from the shore; from there the federal government controls the waters. Companies buying leases in federal waters only have five years in which to drill then the lease expires.
“Natural gas is the more likely prospect for off-shore drilling in Florida,” Swiercz said. “When you are close to shore, the final platform is pretty small. It’s a bit like a helipad deck with a couple of tanks. It’s not that big.”
Swiercz said each single well and platform would generate about 50 jobs, plus the royalties from the drilling itself. “Most fields today are not that big and will only last for a few years. Then the government makes you remove all evidence of the rig. The government is very strict. I imagine when drilling off these beaches, the government will make severe restrictions on what can done. In places where it is environmentally sensitive, the government makes sure the well cannot blow out and cause a problem,” Swiercz asserted. “We’ll never have oil or tar balls on our beaches because the seismic data apparently indicate that Florida’s potential offshore reserves are deep, and likely to be natural gas, not oil. Natural gas emits 30 percent less carbon dioxide than oil, and 50 percent less than coal when burned,” he said.
In a letter to another publication, Swiercz said, “Although most of the activity would occur in federal waters, Florida would still qualify to receive royalty payments under new Minerals Management Service guidelines, which could amount to billions of dollars flowing into Florida coffers. High-tech jobs associated with exploration pay very well, and even ‘blue-collar’ rig jobs pay upwards of $75,000 per year.
A 20-mile boat ride for local fishermen and their clients would deliver them to some of the best fishing in the Gulf of Mexico as offshore platforms quickly become artificial reefs and great fishing grounds. By supporting offshore exploration, I can’t offer you a chance to hold hands and then come back to my place for $5 cocktails as a local businessman has, but I can offer you royalties, jobs, clean energy, and great fishing—all without sacrificing our beautiful beaches.”
While it may appear to scientists the best bet is to drill for natural gas, once the bans have been lifted, either oil or natural gas can be the target of exploration.
Swiercz’s rhetoric does not convince Rauschkolb however. “This is part of a greater effort to open up the federal waters and lift the ban. That will be the first domino to fall. If I could be convinced there would never be an accident maybe I could get behind it,” he said.
Rauschkolb is not alone in being skeptical. Opponents have pointed to the coastlines of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, where the environmental damage has been severe. These areas are often touted as having great impact on the economies of these states, but the evidence is hard to find. Susan Glickman of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says, “The oil and gas industry has a horrible environmental history and once the oil and gas industry get a foothold, they take over.”
Opponents say drilling off Florida’s coast will not only be harmful to tourism, it could also impact military training operations. Any impact to military training operations is likely to result in those operations being moved elsewhere, potentially a larger economic impact than any to be gained by royalties from drilling, which are short-term at best and at worst, far more costly in long term injury to the state’s economy.
No matter which side of the issue you are on, data is available to support it, making it vitally important for Florida residents to gather the facts and make clear to state legislators their views on the matter.
“I’m a believer in real science. Holding hands is not a solution. There is so much misinformation,” says Swiercz.
Rauschkolb says drilling is like putting condos three miles out in the water. “Hands Across the Sand is an opportunity for common Floridians to voice their opposition with their hands and their body. The purpose is to convince everybody to drop this legislation. This allows us to draw a human line in the sand. Florida’s legacy is tourism, not oil.”