Item J2County of Monroe
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Mayor George Neugent, District 2
IleOI1da Ke S
y
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Mayor Pro Tem David Rice, District 4
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Danny L. Kolhage, District 1
Heather Carruthers, District 3
Sylvia J. Murphy, District 5
County Commission Meeting
April 12, 2017
Agenda Item Number: J.2
Agenda Item Summary #2865
BULK ITEM: Yes DEPARTMENT: BOCC District 2
TIME APPROXIMATE: STAFF CONTACT: Terri Colonna (305) 292 -4512
NA
AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Approval of the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe
County, Florida opposing Offshore Oil Drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and supporting the
current moratorium on drilling in the Eastern Gulf.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
CONTRACT /AGREEMENT CHANGES:
NA
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
DOCUMENTATION:
Opposing offshore oil drilling resolution
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Effective Date:
Expiration Date:
Total Dollar Value of Contract:
Total Cost to County:
Current Year Portion:
Budgeted:
Source of Funds:
CPI:
Indirect Costs:
Estimated Ongoing Costs Not Included in above dollar amounts:
Revenue Producing:
Grant:
County Match:
Insurance Required:
Additional Details:
If yes, amount:
REVIEWED BY:
Kathy Peters Completed 03/30/2017 11:47 AM
Board of County Commissioners Pending 05/17/2017 9:00 AM
I I
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
OPPOSING OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING IN THE
EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO AND SUPPORTING THE
CURRENT MORATORIUM ON DRILLING IN THE
EASTERN GULF'.
WHEREAS, Monroe County, aka "The Florida Keys," is a series of islands nestled
between the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and whose coastline
encompasses the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary ("FKNMS") and Everglades National
Park; and
WHEREAS, the unique marine ecosystem of the Florida Keys is home to the only living
coral reef in the continental United States and the largest documented sea grass bed in the world,
and supports more than 6,000 species of fishes, invertebrates, and plants; and
WHEREAS, the Gulf waters surrounding the Florida Keys provide critical spawning
habitats to a multitude of recreational and commercial migratory, endemic, coastal and pelagic
finfish and shellfish, and unparalleled support to fisheries of the entire Gulf of Mexico; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County's near shore waters alone provide habitat for 80 percent of
the fish species in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the Gulf's marine environment provides the foundation for robust local and
regional economic activity, primarily tourism and recreational and commercial fishery industries
that generate more than 70,000 jobs and more than $6 billion annually; and
WHEREAS, the 2010 the Deepwater Horizon Oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico
killed I I people and caused the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history, spilling almost 5 million
barrels of oil over 84 straight days, and oiling more than 1,000 linear miles of shoreline and
habitat, killing an estimated I million birds and thousands of sea turtles and dolphins, extensively
damaging deep sea coral communities, and killing and contaminating untold numbers of fish,
shrimp and oysters; and
WHEREAS, oil drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico and accidents such as the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill are incompatible with protecting the Gulf s environmental resources
and clean and healthy waters that the State of Florida and its coastal communities such as the
Florida Keys are so economically dependent upon; and
WHEREAS, located in the eastern Gulf of Mexico is the Joint Gulf Range Complex, a
critical military testing and training zone, whose national defense activities are incompatible with
drilling activity; and
WHEREAS in 2006 Congress passed the Gulf of Mexico Energy and Security Act (P.L
109-432) creating a moratorium on drilling in most of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and
Page I of 1
WHEREAS, the US Department of the Interior has announced its intention to lift the
moratorium and open up for sale for oil and gas drilling 73 million acres in the federal waters of
the Gulf of Mexico; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County's citizens have on numerous previous occasions
expressed opposition to offshore oil drilling in waters in and about the Florida Keys with
Resolutions 203-1987, 178-198�8, 223-2008, 130-2006, and 136-2010; and
WHEREAS, Monroe C• unty's citizens remain strongly opposed to the lifling of the
�noratorium and any new offshore oil and gas leasing, exploration, drilling activity and seismic
friventorics affecting Florida's coast, and continue to support the strongest possible protectiorM
fN r Florida and its invaluable enviroruriental resources from the impacts of oiffshore oil and gas
cxploration and
- il 0
Commissioners t1at
1. The above recitals are hereby incorporated into this resolution as restated herein
constitute the legislative findings and intent of the Board of County Commissioner
N f Monroe County, Florida.
2. The Clerk for this Board shall furnish copies of this resolution to:
U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, 716 Senate Hart Office Building, United States Senate,
Washington, DC 20510
• U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, 284 Russell Senate Office Building, United States Senate,
Washington, DC 20510
• U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo, District 26, 1404 Lr rth House Office
Building, United States House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515
• Florida Governor Rick Scott, State of Florida, The Capitol, 400 S. Monroe St.,
• Florida Senate President joe Negron, 305 Senate Office Building, 404 South
Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FIL 32399-1100
• Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, 420 The Capitol, 402 South Monro
Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
• State Senator Anitere Flores, District 39, 404 Senate Office Building, 404 Sou
Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
• State Representative Holly Raschein, District 120, 209 House Office Building
402 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
• Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C
Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.
Secretary Ryan Matthews, Florida DEP, Office of the Secretary, 3900 Commonwealt
Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL 32399 1
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5. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County
Florida, at a regular meeting of said Board held on the 12' day of April, 2017.
Mayor George Neugent
Mayor Pro Tem David Rice
Commissioner Danny Kolhage
Commissioner Heather Carruthers
Commissioner Sylvia Murphy
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
(SEAL) OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA
Attest: Kevin Madok, Clerk
U-M
Deputy Clerk
MMEM
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