Gulf Drilling

[Seadog]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The U.S. House of Representatives approved a controversial bill Thursday that opens up vast stretches of the U.S. coast to oil and gas drilling, paving the way for a reversal of a 25-year ban on energy exploration off a majority of the country's shoreline.

Congressional staffers say the bill will have a harder time in the Senate, which is currently considering a much more modest proposal.

The bipartisan bill, which passed by a 232 to 187 margin, will give individual states the right to allow drilling in the federal waters that extend from 3 to 100 miles off the coast and permanently open the federal waters between 100 and 200 from shore.

Currently, most drilling is allowed only in parts of the Gulf of Mexico.

The bill also provides states an incentive to open waters under their control, as it directs some royalties to state coffers. Currently all royalties from energy extraction in federal waters go to Washington.

The bill targets the natural gas rich Atlantic coast, the Pacific coast and portions of Alaska, and the west coast of Florida.

 

[Seadog]

oops, sorry had it in wrong forum, didn't see this one.

 

[John R]

folks, if you don't want to see platforms within sight of the horizon or you're worried about more spills happening due to increased numbers of platforms, i urge you to contact your senators and let them know how you feel about this issue. no action equals apathy, and many of our elected officials are hoping for just that.

jr

 

[Smiling JOe]

...and here is where to find your Senator so you can email or write him/her.

 

[DD]

Don't let this happen to you.........

I love Texas, but don't visit the coast because of THIS. Write!

 

[SoWalSally]

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/932117819?ltl=1151761932

 

[DD]

An email I received from uncle in south louisiana:

"Don?t expect gas price to go down

Citgo spilled a half-million barrels of waste oil in the ship channel here

Citgo and Conoco refineries couldn?t get ships in

So they have a new excuse for high prices"

Plus, it's a big old mess.

 

[aquaticbiology]

i still miss hearing the drilling rig's whistle in the early morning hours on vacation back in the 70's

 

[30A Skunkape]

Please please please contact your senators and urge them to approve this bill. What nobody on this thread has even addressed yet is the fact that the bill will give Louisiana a much larger chunk of royalties from oil/gas drilling and refining that occur within our waters;the plan is to use these funds to both restore our wetlands (which in large part have been sliced, diced and washed away so the rest of the country can have petroleum) and help with levee construction. As it is now, Louisiana gets a shockingly small portion of $ considering the toll taken on our environment. It is the right thing to do;if we continue to take the largest environmental hit, we should at least have the chance to access the funds to fix the mess. If you don't want to see the rigs off the Florida coast, or whatever other coast you are concerned about, and don't want to bail out New Orleans after the next big hurricane, act now!

 

[SHELLY]

Write a letter to your senator, get in your SUV and drive the 1/2 block to the corner and deposit it in the mailbox--we can do this folks!