Drilling ... and SoWal

[TooFarTampa]

Since we have so many new people chiming in , I wanted to get an honest opinion from locals, owners and lovers of the SoWal beaches.

Do you believe it is time for drilling off our coast? What do you think will happen if we do? Do you think the states should have the right to decide, or is it the Fed's call? Do you think drilling in ANWR is the same as drilling along Florida's Gulf Coast?

I ask because it is clear that Walton County is heavily Republican. But after watching the delegates shouting "Drill Baby Drill!" over and over last night ... I gotta admit, it made me nervous. Personally I have a hard time believing that drilling close to our beaches won't damage them in some way, possibly irreversibly. Not only is this potentially an environmental problem, it is a tourism problem, and a property values problem.

Drilling could potentially affect all county residents, since property taxes south of 98 contribute so much to the county as a whole. Tourism is, indirectly, a huge source of all that revenue.

I don't think we've discussed this in awhile. I'd love to hear some arguments for or against.

 

[Jdarg]

I have been thinking about this a lot today. We have so many residents that fiercely protect our lakes and beaches at a local level, and I am wondering if a large percentage of them vote republican at the national level? To me, that would be contradictory to what they are trying to protect here.

Maybe some local Republicans that are environmentalists can chime in.

 

[LuciferSam]

The only drilling in SoWal should be done by the dentists.

 

[BeachSteelers]

Drilling will be done regardless of anyones concerns. Too much money involved however if drilling does occur off FL.'s coast shouldn't we receive royalties just like Alaskans? If they tap ANWAR shouldn't we all get credit. I'm for free enterprise but it seems we've given away our natural resources to Corporations under leasing agreements but I not sure what we received from them in return?

 

[Mermaid]

I honestly don't know the complete facts of what off-shore drilling does and does not do to our waters so I shouldn't offer my opinion yet (not that that will stop me ). My knee-jerk reaction, however, is strong dislike at the idea of seeing wells while I'm swimming at Seagrove! A few years back my brother dragged us to Gulf Shores Alabama and you could see the wells in the near distance (something I'd never seen before) and it was disconcerting and strange and not lovely.

BeachSteelers, what a defeatist attitude! "Drilling will be done regardless...?" What if there's no way to do it without harming the beauty that draws people (and face it, dollars) to SoWal? The money it would bring in would be useless, like killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Royalties should not be an overwhelming factor for something that has a monumental impact like drilling. Money is a renewable resource; an unspoiled environment, not so.

 

[GoodWitch58]

IMO, the only way to stop it is to organize the community ala, The Big Blue Monsters in Sowal. The entire Florida community would need to be willing to rise up against it.

Until recently the governor and both U. S. Senators were opposed -- not so now; and if McCain/Palin win the election, it will be all over no matter what the people do IMO.

 

[jack S]

Here are two articles on drilling

http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/c...ses-potential-threat-to-florida-shores_18161/

http://www.dontrigflorida.org/

You can see that the companies with record profits lie to you and I, just like their puppets (our elected representatives ) to get what THEY want.

 

[full time]

I honestly don't know the complete facts of what off-shore drilling does and does not do to our waters so I shouldn't offer my opinion yet (not that that will stop me ). My knee-jerk reaction, however, is strong dislike at the idea of seeing wells while I'm swimming at Seagrove! A few years back my brother dragged us to Gulf Shores Alabama and you could see the wells in the near distance (something I'd never seen before) and it was disconcerting and strange and not lovely.

BeachSteelers, what a defeatist attitude! "Drilling will be done regardless...?" What if there's no way to do it without harming the beauty that draws people (and face it, dollars) to SoWal? The money it would bring in would be useless, like killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Royalties should not be an overwhelming factor for something that has a monumental impact like drilling. Money is a renewable resource; an unspoiled environment, not so.

With the advances in directional drilling, you would never see a rig unless you went looking for it. Vast underwater stretches of the Gulf could be covered with a network of pipes that connect to a central load site. It's not like the old days where you would pop a rig and drill straight down. There's a lot of oil off the coast of Florida as well as California. It's high time we go and get it as we develop a sensible energy policy for the future. My main problem with Obama is he no doubt will be (as are most Democrats) unduly influenced by irrational environmental concerns particularly as it relates to nuclear power which has to be a large piece of the future plans.

 

[30ashopper]

Everything I've read about drilling in our area indicates -

- drilling wouldn't take place off our beaches, it would occur more toward Pensacola
- We do not have oil reserves off our beaches, just natural gas
- Wells would be located far enough off the coast so that they would not be visible

In general, we don't need more natural gas today, and assuming discovery (which can take a decade) doesn't turn any major oil reserves up around here, I don't even think rigs would occur here for quite some time.

I'm more interested in Alaska, ANWAR, and the central gulf of mexico - in those areas, drill baby drill!

edit - states should have the right to refuse access in their waters / lands.

 

[beachmouse]

Drilling in the near areas off the Panhandle is not likely anytime soon, if ever, regardless of current legislation. More than half the area of the eastern Gulf is considered to be part of the Eglin test range, and the Department of Defense tends to be very picky and pokey about encroachment on their domain.

Considering the Pentagon's track record of taking 10+ years to give the go ahead for a county-run sewer plant that would actively serve the base, and a stated dislike of the idea of fixed oil structures in their territory, regardless of over or under water, and I could easily see them dragging out the process of getting permits for even exploration of the area for a really long time in hopes that the oil companies go away.