Resolution 136-2010Commissioners Carruthers and Di Cennaro
RESOLUTION NO. _ 1�� - 2010
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA,
SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO PROTECT FLORIDA FROM OFFSHORE
DRILLING AND EXPLORATION* ENCOURAGING THE GOVERNOR
TO CALL A SPECIAL SESSION TO PLACE A CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT ON THE 2010 GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT
BANNING OIL AND GAS DRILLING IN STATE WATERS; URGING
ENHANCED OVERSIGHT OF SAFETY AND CONTINGENCY PLANS
ON OIL AND GAS DRILLING IN STATE WATERS; AND DIRECTING
THE CLERK TO FORWARD SAID RESOLUTION TO THE
GOVERNOR, SENATE PRESIDENT, HOUSE SPEAKER, AND THE
MONROE COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION*
WHEREAS, Florida's coral reefs, mangroves, sea grasses, beaches, fisheries,
endangered species, tourism and quality of life depend upon clean ocean waters; the impacts of
drilling muds and spills caused by offshore oil. development can be carried by great distances by
the Gulf Loop Current onto Florida's coasts; routine drilling mud releases thousands of pounds
of toxic chemicals into the environment, harm fish, corals and marine mammals, and place
Florida at risk of a large or catastrophic spill; and
WHEREAS, it has become very clear that oil spills and environmental and economic
disasters do occur as evidenced by the disastrous spill from the April 20, 2010 burning, collapse
and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig as well as the leak from a rig off the coast of
Australia in November 2009 and the tanker leak on the Great Barrier Reef on April 5, 2010; and
WHEREAS, there currently is no effective method of preventing or arresting a
deepwater leak; and
WHEREAS, since 2001, and according to the Federal Minerals Management Service,
there have been 69 offshore deaths, 1,349 injuries and 858 fires and explosions in the Gulf of
Mexico alone; and
WHEREAS, historically considered and managed as isolated environments, recent -
discoveries have documented important biological linkages between these underwater
communities that are maintained by the clockwise motion of the Yucatan Loop and Florida
currents; individual reef and banks, some of which are connected by bathymetric ridges and
scarps, provide a nearly -continuous corridor from Belize and Mexico, then into the Gulf itself;
even though separated by large expanses of ocean water, the fishes, corals, and invertebrates
common to these reefs and banks demonstrate that the health and vitality of resources
downstream are linked closely to those located upstream, and they are dependent on one
another for the continued biological recruitment and replenishment of the biota; and
WHEREAS, Floridians and especially residents of the Florida Keys have been unified
in their opposition to offshore oil drilling and exploration for many years; and
Combined Res Banning Oil Drilling 5/20/10 KP
BOCC 5/19/10 Page 1 of 4
Commissioners Caruthers and Di Gennaro
WHEREAS, the area south of 26 degrees North Latitude, approximately where Marco
Island, Florida, lies, and all waters outside of Lease Sale 181, are under a Congressional
moratorium for oil and natural gas exploration and development, thanks to years of past efforts;
and
WHEREAS, the effort to open Florida up to oil drilling began with the Interior
Department removing Florida's jurisdiction and giving Louisiana authority over Lease Sale
181, via publication of a revised "Seaward Boundary Lines Extension" in the Federal Register
in January of 2006, that occurred without public review or comment; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Interior Department's Five Year Plan for Oil and Gas
Development and Exploration undermines current protections for Florida's coral reefs; and
WHEREAS, the Obama administration is proposing to open vast expanses of water
along the Atlantic coastline and the eastern Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling, much
of it for the first time; and
WHEREAS, Florida Senators Mel Martinez (R) and Bill Nelson (D) worked diligently
to make permanent the drilling moratorium in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, including most of
Lease Sale 181, to keep drilling as far as 260 miles off Florida's west coast and 150 miles off
the Panhandle and the east coast; and
WHEREAS, the eastern Gulf is a military training zone and in which drilling should be
banned as well as a buffer alongside it for at least five years; and
WHEREAS, as more threats to bring oil drilling closer to Florida's shores emerge in
Washington; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners previously passed
Resolutions #223-2008 and #139-2006 supporting efforts to protect Florida from offshore
drilling and exploration and Resolutions # 178-1988 and #203-1987 expressing opposition to
any offshore drilling in and about the Florida Keys; and
WHEREAS, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill during the 2009
legislative session which would have allowed the Governor and Cabinet, in their sole discretion
sitting as the Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, to receive, review and accept or
reject proposals for exploration and production of oil and natural gas in Florida's state waters;
and
WHEREAS, it is a matter of grave concern that the efforts to allow drilling off
Florida's coasts may be raised once again at the State legislature during the 2011 legislative
session;
WHEREAS, Governor Charlie Crist is now considering reconvening a special session
of the Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the November 2010 General Election
ballot banning oil and gas drilling in State waters; and
Combined Res Banning oil Drilling Y20110 KP
BOCC 5/19/10 Page 2 of 4
Commissioners Carruthers and Di Gennaro
WHEREAS,_ Representative Ron Saunders, representing the Florida Keys, who
continues to fight efforts to expand oil drilling closer to Florida's coast, has expressed his
support of the proposed constitutional amendment banning oil drilling in State waters; and
WHEREAS, allowing the citizens of Florida to vote their opinion on oil and gas
drilling off the coast of Florida may end much of the influence the oil and gas industry lobbyists
have had in recent years and provide an extra layer of protection in preventing oil drilling in
State waters; and
WHEREAS, the recent Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has resulted
in more than 210,000 gallons of oil being pumped into the northern Gulf of Mexico and the oil
continues to spill into the Gulf of Mexico daily with no end in sight as attempts to cap the oil
leak have, to date, been unsuccessful; and
WHEREAS, the State of Florida is seeing impacts from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
which is 100 miles away, evidence of just how catastrophic the impacts of an oil spill would be
if an oil leak occurred within three miles off the coast of Florida as has been suggested; and
WHEREAS, the crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill may become caught in
the Loop Current sending it down into the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas and turning the
possible catastrophic threat to the pristine environment, the livelihood of our commercial and
charter fisherman, and the tourism industry into a reality, with irreversible and devastating
impacts for generations to come; and
WHEREAS, it is evident that enhanced oversight of safety and contingency plans are
needed on all oil and gas drilling to prevent a repeat of the events surrounding the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA:
1. We encourage Governor Charlie Crist to call a special session in order to place a
constitutional amendment on the 2010 General Election Ballot banning all oil and gas drilling
in State waters.
2. We support the strongest possible protection for Florida and other fragile marine
environments from the impacts of offshore oil and gas exploration and development, including
additional efforts to expand exclusionary zones, extension of Presidential and Congressional
moratoria, defeat of legislation to open up our coast to offshore oil, and enhanced oversight of
safety and contingency plans on all oil and gas drilling in State waters.
3. We oppose oil drilling near Florida; we oppose any new offshore oil and gas leasing,
exploration, drilling activity and seismic inventories affecting Florida's coast and support new
Congressional moratoria against offshore oil drilling near Florida and other fragile coastal
areas; and we encourage extension of the Presidential Executive Order that bans leasing off
Florida's east and west coasts from 2012 to 2020.
Combined Res Banning oil Drilling 5/20/10 KP
BOCC 5/ t 9/1 o Page 3 of 4
Commissioners Carruthers and Di Gennaro
3. We encourage the interior Department Minerals Management Service, our Florida
Delegation, and Florida Governor Charlie Crist to work in support of these goals.
4. We support a permanent cancellation of the 90+ existing and active leases, some as close as
11 miles from our coast, compensating the holders of those leases through rents due and royalty
forgiveness for other current drilling activity, and canceling any activity in Lease Sale 181 and
establishment of a 150 mile buffer zone against drilling on Florida's east coast.
6. The Clerk shall send a copy of this resolution to:
a. Renee Orr, 5-Year Program Manager, Minerals Management Service (MS-401 0), Room
3120, 381 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170
b. Honorable Senator Bill Nelson, 716 Senate Hart Office Building, Washington, DC
20510
C. Honorable Senator George Le Mieux, 356 Russell Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC 20510
d. Honorable Representative Reana Ros-Lehtinen, 2160 Rayburn Building, Washington,
DC 20515
e. Governor Charlie Wrist, The Capitol, Tallahassee, FL 32301
f. Florida Senate President -Designate Mike Haridopolos, Capitol Office, 420 Senate
Office Building, 404 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399
g. FL Representative Dean Cannon, 422 The Capitol, 402 South Monroe Street,
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
h. Fl Representative Ron Saunders, 1402 The Capitol, 402 South Monroe Street,
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
i. FL Senator Larcenia Bullard, 218 Senate Office Building, 404 South Monroe Street,
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County,
Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the 19'' day of May, 2010.
Mayor Sylvia Murphy
Mayor Pro Tem. Heather Carruthers
Commissioner Mario Di Gennaro
`�~ Commissioner George Neugent
missioner Kim Wagington
s.- A - - -
L. KOLHAGE, Clerk
Deputy Clerk
Combined Res Banning Oil Drilling 5/20/10 KP
BOCC 5/19/10 Page 4 of 4
C ►
Yes - �.
r-
Yes
Yes �.
-T1
CD
Yes r -
- ..�..
Yes _T �
.�,.
M
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIa ERR
OF MONROE COUN Y. FLORIDA
By .
Wyor/Chairperso"n
CrOUNTY ATTORNEY,
-BAST M.
TT0! v
STATE OF FLORIDA
office of the Oobernor
THE CAPITOL
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32399-0001
CHARLIE CRIST
GOVERNOR
The Honorable Danny Kolhage
Suite 101, 500 Whitehead Street
Key West, Florida 33040
Dear Mr. Kolhage:
www.flgov.com
850-488-7146
850-487-0801 fax
September 21, 2010
Thank you for writing to Governor Crist regarding his call for a special session.
The Governor appreciates your concerns and asked me to respond on his behalf.
When the Governor called for a special session on July 8, 2010, we were hopeful that
the legislature would act in the best interest of all Floridians by passing a joint resolution
allowing Florida voters the opportunity to amend their constitution and ban off -shore
drilling along Florida's coastline forever. Sadly, the legislature denied voters this
chance, and the prospect of future drilling still threatens our beautiful beaches.
I commend you on your service to the people of Monroe County, and on the
passage of Resolution No. 136-2010. The Governor remains committed to protecting
our coastline. Through continued hard work, we can achieve an even brighter future for
the Sunshine State.
Sincerely,
Ken Granger
Deputy Chief of Staff
_4
AS
w
00