The state House on Monday afternoon approved a bill that could allow oil drilling as close as three miles off Florida's west coast beaches.
House members voted 70-43, mostly along party lines, with Republicans voting in favor and Democrats voting against, said Florida Keys Democrat Rep. Ron Saunders, who voted against the bill.
There is a companion Senate bill (SB 2294), but there is talk of attaching the House bill (1219) to a larger Senate energy bill, which would make it harder to defeat, said Saunders, adding he and others will continue to fight to keep the bill separate.
"All you can do now is keeping fighting it," Saunders said. "The problem is that there are people on the other side who are not concerned about our environment."
Drilling could not occur immediately off the Florida Keys as it is protected by the federal government through the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. However, oil leaks and spills off the Panhandle could reach the Keys via strong Gulf of Mexico currents and affect fish populations that migrate between there and the Keys.
Florida law now restricts oil exploration and drilling in state waters, which extend nine miles into the gulf. Under the House bill, gas companies that wanted a lease would have to pay a $1 million non-refundable deposit to seek state approval, which would come from the governor and Cabinet.
Proceeds from the leases would go to the Florida Forever land buying program. Some of the proceeds would go to beach restoration and local governments in areas affected by the leases, according to the House bill.
Supporters say it's a way to get away from a dependency on foreign oil and bring money and jobs to Florida. The bill's sponsor, Charles Van Zant (R-Keystone Heights), told his fellow representatives oil drilling would bring between 16,000 to 20,000 jobs, paying at least $76,000 a year.
"Our start [away from foreign oil] starts with this bill," said Van Zant, who represents Clay County, an interior county not on the coast.
The state could reap at least $31 billion in tax revenue over the next 20 years if oil production was developed, supporters said.
Opponents and legislators from coastal communities contend the money would pale in comparison to what it would cost if Florida beaches were damaged in a spill. They cite, for example, the 9 million gallons of oil that leaked into the Gulf and other waterways off Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Florida beaches, coral reefs and coastal waters generate $562 billion a year, according to the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council. The Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and other waterways support 5.8 million jobs and account for 79 percent of the state's economy, they say.
The ocean, reefs and backcountry waters off the Keys alone generate $1.2 billion a year through fishing, diving, and restaurant and hotel business, said Billy Causey, regional manager of the National Marine Sanctuary Program.
"This bill puts a stake in the heart of the economy of my district," said Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, a Democrat who represents the coastal county of Sarasota. "You are talking about jobs and money in our districts."
Fitzgerald also questioned how much the new oil really would ween the U.S. off foreign oil. The 2 billion barrels that may be there would last only 150 days when spread across the entire nation, Fitzgerald said.
More money and time is needed to develop alternative, renewable forms of energy, he and others said.
"It's hard to believe that the state of the economy has become so desperate that we are risking our coastal resource," Causey said.
tohara@keysnews.com