DUNEDIN – The Dunedin City Commission unanimously agreed at a Jan. 21 meeting to move forward with drafting a resolution to oppose offshore oil drilling within state waters.
The discussion was continued from a Dec. 17 meeting, and Assistant to the City Manager Angela Montgomery presented answers commissioners had asked about the subject. At the previous meeting, the commission wanted clarification on where state waters are, if the federal law prohibiting drilling supersedes any state legislation concerning drilling and how far out drilling can occur.
Montgomery told the commission that the State of Florida Environmental Department says that existing federal legislation prohibits drilling in federal waters only, going out to 225 miles offshore, and that does not have any impact on state waters, which are from three miles and 10.36 miles offshore. Federal waters are from 10.36 miles to 225 miles offshore, and the United states Department of the Interior regulates the control over oil and gas activities in those waters. The state regulates control over its own waters, she said. Current state legislation prohibits drilling in its waters until 2022, Montgomery said, although it has recently been considering changing that law.
This consideration has prompted numerous local governments to pass resolutions opposing the move to drill in any offshore waters that are not already approved for drilling exploration. Locally, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, Tampa, the town of Indian Shores and the Barrier Islands Governing Council have all passed such resolutions.
“Essentially the resolutions outlined the potential detriment to Florida’s tourism economy, the environment and the quality of life,” Montgomery said. “The proposed city of Dunedin resolution opposing drilling offshore references the same potential detriments and similarly requests the following: ... That before additional expansion of drilling in areas of the Gulf Coast of Mexico may be considered, the significant expansion recently allowed must be explored. ... That the City of Dunedin may continue to take steps to become more energy efficient and institute efforts for the city’s residents to do the same, and that this resolution should become effective immediately after adoption.”
The commission looked at the resolutions passed by the local governments and asked City Attorney John Hubbard to draft one modeled after the Barrier Islands Governmental Council resolution and the Indian Shores resolution because they each had stronger language. The commission said it wants to explicitly say that it does not support any additional drilling and that it strongly encourages actively looking for alternative energy sources.
Jack Norton, the new chairman of the board of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, presented a letter to the commission by the chamber. He said the chamber is united in opposing approving any oil or gas drilling in Florida waters in areas other than those already approved for such exploration.
“Florida’s economy and thus Pinellas County’s and Dunedin’s, depends on its multibillion-dollar tourist industry,” Norton read. “Ninety-five percent of Pinellas County tourists cite the beaches as the main reason they come to Florida. In Dunedin, here are the numbers that directly affect us: In 2009, there were over 1.7 million visitors to the Honeymoon Island and Caladesi State Parks, resulting in $68 million in direct economic impact to our community. Of those 1.7 million visitors, 39 percent came from 50 miles away or farther. These are the people who stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, shop in our shops, and support our business community. Our two parks generate and sustain 1,361 jobs in our local area community.”
Norton said that despite technological advances in oil rig drilling, there is no guarantee that there will not be catastrophic damage to Florida’s coastline, beaches, plants and fish. Also, an oil spill either during normal or storm conditions could ruin the tourism industry and destroy the waters and beaches, he said.
“Please know that environmental experts contend that one of the major risks in drilling platforms is the waste water that they routinely discharge, which contains heavy metals including mercury which would affect our environment,” Norton read.
Norton also said the rigs would be seen on the horizon both day and night, ruining the peaceful, beautiful view and hurting tourism.
Several other Dunedin residents spoke in support of the resolution, and one resident spoke against the resolution, stating he believed city efforts should be directed elsewhere.
