Fla. gov. urges Congress to reject new offshore drilling bill

Fla. gov. urges Congress to reject new offshore drilling bill

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is urging leaders of a U.S. Senate committee to reject new legislation that could bring offshore oil and natural gas drilling up to 45 miles from Florida’s beaches.

The bill would cast aside a delicate compromise that Congress passed last year to open new Gulf of Mexico waters off Florida to drilling but set a 125-mile buffer zone.

Crist sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus of Montana and Sen. Chuck Grassley, the panel’s ranking member. Baucus is a Democrat; Grassley a Republican.

Sponsors of new legislation that could bring drilling as close as 45 miles to Florida argue that new technology has cut the risk of oil spills and other drilling related pollution.

Florida’s two senators, Republican Mel Martinez and Democrat Bill Nelson, also have declared their opposition to the proposal introduced last week.

Information from: www.dailycomet.com

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