Posted on 04/29/2006 3:11:08 PM PDT by musicman
April 29, 2006
Nelson announces bill to block Cuban oil drilling near Keys
Associated Press MIAMI -- U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson announced legislation Friday to keep Cuba from oil drilling in the waters between the Caribbean island nation and the Florida Keys.
The Democratic senator's bill would block the renewal of a 1977 international agreement allowing Cuba to conduct commercial activity near the Keys -- unless Cuba would agree not to put oil rigs in the Florida Straits close to the low-lying island chain off Florida's southern tip.
"At risk are the Florida Keys and the state's tourism economy, not to mention the $8 billion that Congress is investing to restore the Everglades," Nelson in a statement.
The 1977 Maritime Boundary Agreement dividing control of the 90 miles of sea between Cuba and the Keys must be renewed every two years, and was last renewed in 2004.
Nelson's legislation would also deny visas to executives of foreign oil companies who continue drilling off Cuba's northern coast.
A message left for the Cuban Interests Section in Washington, D.C., was not immediately returned.
In a February meeting in Mexico with U.S. energy executives, Cuban officials announced plans to double their drilling capacity and explore for oil offshore. Since the discovery of oil deposits off its coast two years ago, Cuba has signed exploration deals with Canadian, Chinese, Indian and Norwegian firms.
Nelson has joined Mel Martinez, Florida's Republican senator, in opposing efforts to allow oil and gas drilling off the state's Gulf coast, saying drilling could interfere with military training and poses environmental risks that could threaten beaches vital to Florida's tourism industry.
A Martinez spokesman said he could not immediately comment Friday.
U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., who last year co-sponsored legislation that would have removed drilling moratoriums in parts of the Gulf of Mexico, called Nelson's bill an "attempt to control the national energy policy of Cuba."
Other countries already drill just as close to the coasts of other states, Peterson said.
"If Mr. Nelson was serious about preventing foreign nations from producing energy off our coasts, his bill would seek to obstruct the Canadian drilling program as well -- which has set up shop off Maine in the east, Washington state in the West, and Lake Erie in the north," Peterson said in a statement.
U.S. companies are prohibited from doing business with Cuba under a 45-year-old trade embargo.
The group is called: NODWVMC
No Oil Drilling Within View of My Condo
They've got their priorities right. Like China, they realize there's a need for oil, and they're actually doing something about it.
Meanwhile, we sit here and continue to face larger and larger problems because of NIMBY clowns like Nelson. Regardless of what he promotes, Cuba WILL find a way to access offshore oil, which is something we should have been doing decades ago.
Nelson doesn't want to cross Dana Priest's husband's organization, which fronts for Castro.
US oil companies make billions so they can exsplore new oil reserves. Then when they find oil, congress doesn't allow them to drill. Now a foriegn enemy is going to drill and probaly sell it back to us...... I'm glad congress is on the job.
I can't believe I actually agree with Castro's actions. Offshore oil and gas drilling can be conducted safely. I get so tired of celebrities who fly private jets lecture about the need to prohibit all development of natural resources on public lands or off the coasts of the US.
Just tell Nelson, NO! Winner takes all and if he'll get off his high horse and allow us to get there first and other places we'll win.
What this is is an attempt to evade humiliation and embarrassment. Nelson knows that even the sheep won't be able to understand why Cuba is drilling off Florida but aren't.
Where, exactly, are they planning to drill?
And what is the enforcement provision?
Only astronauts can see 45 miles. The rest of us will never see it.
Less than a half of mile off US territorial waterways but the fear is Castro will use some Russian Deep Sea Drilling techniques and be able to angle drill into our proved pools.
So what? We ain't usein' it.
(Sad but true)
Obviously we should start drilling within
45 miles of Cuba, just wait till their workers see
how ours live.
It would be the best thing for Florida fishing!
Go ahead folks, say NO to more tourist revenue, more
tax base, more oil royalties per county and eventually
lower gas prices for tourists and operators and everyone.
It's easy to do.
Imagine trying to tell Texas, Louisana and the Gulf states they couldn't have oil rigs anymore. Haha, I dare you.
The "environmentalists" and their dem supporters do not want any drilling. They want everyone to move into a condo or apartment in an urban area and take buses or mass transit.
I still say if the oil companies would make thier drilling rigs look like 40 story Condos, nobody would ever even notice them out there.
I agree.
So Bill, when do we start the invasion of Cuba? Short of that there isn't much we can do to stop them from drilling in their own territorial waters.
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