PENSACOLA giant oil discovery Gulf of Mexico Oil Drilling Off Florida's Coast

A giant oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico is adding fuel to the offshore drilling debate here in Florida.

Big oil is using the find as a reason to open up Florida's coast.

As Whitney Ray tells us in our focus on Florida, lawmakers could vote on offshore drilling as early as October.

Public support for offshore oil drilling has been on the rise ever since gas prices hit the four dollars a gallon last year. Jennifer Goldsby is still on the fence.

Jennifer Goldsby / Against Drilling, "'I'd probably rather keep our beaches clean.' 'What if gas goes up to five bucks, would you change your opinion?' 'That might start to change it some.'"

Associated Industries of Florida is documenting an increase in public support for drilling.

Jose Gonzalez / AIF Spokesman, "Our latest poll which was conducted about two weeks ago has it at about 78 percent of Floridians in support of some type of drilling if its responsible and done in an environmentally sound way."

Whitney Ray / Reporter, "Adding fuel to the fire BP's announcement that the company found enough oil in the Gulf of Mexico to run the country for an entire year."

Lawmakers could be asked to vote on drilling as early as October. Representative David Rivera says October may be too soon to vote but a discussion is fair game.

David Rivera / (R) Miami-Dade, "We don't necessarily have to go completely in terms of approving and having final resolution or final disposition of the entire issue, but we could start exploring."

Environmentalists fear drilling off Florida's coast is too risky and the issue needs more attention than lawmakers can give it in an October special session.

Environmentalists say an oil spill could ruin the state's tourism industry and cost the state billions of sales tax dollars.

While the oil industry says improvements in technology allows coastal drilling with little risk to the state's beaches.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• none
• FLORIDA
• TEXAS
• HUSTON
• OIL
• DISCOVERY
• GULF
• OF
• MEXICO
• DRILLING
• DRILL
• BABY
• COAST
• BEACH
• BP
• SHALE
• FUEL
• GAS
• PRICES
• HHO

[lmaginaryfriend3199]

truly sad

[british123able]

BP RUNS THE WORLD, THEY COULD PROBLY BUY AMERICA, (NO JOKE) BP:HELLO MR OBAMA, HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR COUNTRY? OBAMA: ARE YOU SERIOUS? BP: DEADLY, SAY ANY NUMBER YOU WANT

[kevinmartinez47]

@nafreehc Planetresource(dot)net has a Eco friendly solution to clean up the tragedy British Petroleum has created

One person can still make a difference in this world, is that simple interactions have a rippling effect. Each time this gets pass along, the hope in cleaning our planet is passed on .watch the youtube video title "COMPLETE CLEAN UP OF THE GULF SPILL"

by PRR7075

[grizzzlyjoe]

Oh what a difference a day can make! How naive this seems now.............

[helpAmerica1]

Drill baby Drill.

[deadmantyping2]

They need to take that poll again.LOL Bwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Strider86x]

@observationclone

do you know which country America imports most from? give u a hint it's not even OPEC. u do know BP=British Petroleum. besides even if a American company was to drill offshore, what makes u think they will even sell it cheap to us Americans when they can just sell it for a higher profit to say China? no such thing as loyalty in economics, just the bottom line.

[seadog1988]

not just no but hell no that oil can stay out there for all i care. i dont want another repeat of this spill but its to late now here comes the oil

[WinterHaven]

Drill baby drill. You got it! Now enjoy your crude filled beaches. SUCKAS.

[onemanjazzfuneral]

.........hindsight IS 20/20........