American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Jack Gerard released a statement on Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s announcement to remove the Eastern Gulf of Mexico from the recently released five-year offshore oil and natural gas leasing plan. API is a national trade association representing the oil and natural gas industry.
"This announcement is premature. Americans support increased domestic energy production, and the administration and policymakers should follow the established process before making any decisions or conclusions that would undermine our nation's energy security. The ability to provide affordable energy for consumers and meet the growing domestic and global demand depends on the ability to safely and responsibly explore and develop our offshore energy resources, including in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called the exemption a stunt. He and Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Naples, have each submitted legislation to make the current ban in the eastern Gulf permanent. The current moratorium on drilling in federal waters within 125 miles of Florida’s coast runs through 2022.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate on 10 January 2017, a day after Zinke announced that the Department of Interior would exempt Florida from new offshore oil and gas leases, Senator Nelson asked, “What exactly does off the table mean? The whole eastern Gulf, half of it? 125 miles off the coast? Does it mean both coasts of Florida? Does it mean just one? What about the Straits of Florida? Okay, Secretary Zinke, what about the seismic surveys? You all have said you're proceeding with that. Are those off the table too?”
API’s Gerard wants drilling off Florida’s coast back on the table. He says, "The Gulf of Mexico is the backbone of our nation’s offshore energy production and restricting access to the Eastern Gulf puts hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk across the country and along the Gulf Coast, particularly in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. Not only that, but securing reliable sources of energy helps fuel other industries like tourism, especially in states like Florida that relies on more than 200 million barrels of gasoline and diesel each year to fuel its economy.”
