Later today, the White House is expected to announce they will extend the moratorium on oil drilling off of the coast of Florida for the next 7 years.  This is a change from earlier in the year when the President was open to expanded drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico.

The Miami Herald reports that a senior Administration official said the change was made due to safety concerns in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.  Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is expected to make an official announcement at a press conference this afternoon. Please check back to this blog post for updates and reaction.

UPDATE #1 - Listen to Audubon of Florida Executive Director Eric Draper comment about this issue on WFSU Public Radio.