This morning, the Senate Environmental Preservation and Conservation Committee failed to take up SB 1158 by Sen. Greg Evers (R-Baker) when Chairman Charlie Dean (R-Inverness) moved to “TP” or “temporarily postpone” the bill. While this would ordinarily mean the bill could be taken up at future committee meetings, it is effectively a roadblock to the bill, since today was the committee’s last meeting.

The House companion, HB 695 by Rep. Clay Ford (R-Gulf Breeze), will be heard in its next committee stop, State Affairs, Wednesday at 9AM.

As we reported in the Audubon Advocate last Friday, these bills seek to make it much easier for oil companies to explore and drill on our protected lands, including Blackwater River State Forest.

As currently written, these bills would limit the amount of time state regulators have to complete comprehensive environmental impact reviews of exploration and drilling proposals and give exclusive drilling rights to the exploration company.

The motivation behind this bill?

A Texas oil drilling and exploration company is currently conducting seismic investigations now in Alabama and wants exclusive rights to continue their activities across the state line and into Florida.

Once again, Audubon Advocates made the difference. Stay informed, stay connected and together we are making a difference for Florida!

A special thank you goes out to Francis M. Weston Audubon Society  and Chapter President Dana Timmons  for traveling to Tallahassee to engage on this critical issue. Excellent work!