Coastal Zone Management Act Dispute -
Florida vs. Chevron
Karol Barksdale
GUEST COLUMNIST
I attended the meeting on September 27 in Pensacola regarding offshore drilling
and if ignorance was bliss, that crowd was the happiest group I've ever seen. My
husband is an employee of Murphy Expro and we live in Ft. Walton Beach. We went to
the meeting in support of Chevron's plans to develop the Destin Dome because we know that
it can be developed safely, with no detrimental effects on the environment or our tourist
industry.
It's hard to sit and watch these groups act on emotions and not facts. I
defend offshore drilling because I know America cannot survive without oil and gas.
I know that we have to get this natural resource where it is because it isn't going to
come to us. I know in my heart that it can be done safely and without inconvenience
and damage to our beaches. We live on the beach - we were brought up on these
beaches and the last thing we want is to see them destroyed. If I felt they were in
danger, I would be the first one to speak out against drilling.
Most people are clueless and oppose drilling because of fear based on
misinformation being passed around by these self-proclaimed environmental groups.
These same people are the biggest hypocrites I have ever seen. They damn offshore
drilling, but they don't say a word about it when filling up their cars and boats with gas
and oil, heating their homes, cooking their food or drying their clothes. They don't have
a clue about how this country depends on oil and gas for its survival and would collapse
without it. We depend on it in every aspect of our daily lives, but don't realize it.
This area depends on tourism and that's why they are so easily scared by the
local environmentalists. Environmental activists are worried about air pollution from a
platform 30 miles away, but say nothing about the pollution caused by the thousands of
vehicles driven by the tourists. They are worried about oil washing up on our
beaches - FROM WHAT? Chevron will be drilling for natural gas, NOT oil. I should remind
you that they were drilling off Destin in the 70's and 80's, but many of you never knew
it. There are other sources of daily pollution closer to home than any offshore rig.
Okaloosa county alone has about 16,000 (as of June 1999) registered boats, which is about
one boat for every ten people who live here. Tourists bring their own watercraft
with them, thus adding to the pollution problem. Open your eyes and look at the pollution
caused by boats. You worry about a platform 30 miles offshore that will dump ZERO sewage
and waste overboard, yet you say nothing about the fact that boats can LEGALLY dump their
sewage 3 miles from the beach. You think none of it ever reaches shore?
Environmental groups are quick to remind us that drilling has ruined the
Louisiana beaches. If they knew their geography, they would know that Louisiana
makes up 41% of the nation's wetlands. Louisiana has few beaches - it is almost all
marshland. Louisiana is the 2nd largest producer of natural gas in the U.S. and it
supplies more than ¼ of total U.S. production. There are 100's of offshore
platforms off of the coast of Louisiana that are producing oil and gas, yet the Louisiana
commercial fishing industry produces 25% of all seafood in America. More shrimp are caught
in Louisiana waters than any other place in America and oyster production is the highest
in the U.S. Many of the commercial fishermen from this area go to the waters off
Louisiana to fish and shrimp. Sports fishing around platforms is better than
anything we have here and brings tourists from all over the world to Louisiana.
These activists may blast me for writing this, but it doesn't bother me in the
least bit because I'm not living with double standards. I'm thankful every time I
flip a switch and have electricity, when I'm able to put oil and gas in my car and when I
buy food at a store because without these things we would have to drastically change our
standards of living.
If you feel the same way I do, I suggest you contact Secretary Daley at the U.S.
Department of Commerce, 14th Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230 and let him
know that you are in support of drilling off the coast of Florida.
KB
