Buchanan praises new drilling safety requirements
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) praised the government on Thursday for creating new federal stipulations to better regulate drilling and protect Florida’s coastline from oil spills like the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe was one of the worst oil spills in recent U.S. history. The spill took place in the Gulf of Mexico, near Louisiana, and released more than four million barrels of oil into the Gulf. Much of the oil made its way to Florida’s west coast, something Buchanan said that he hopes will never happen again.
“Florida’s coastal communities depend on a clean and healthy ocean and we shouldn’t jeopardize the state’s economy or environment by gambling on operations that lack adequate safeguards,” Buchanan said. “The legacy of the tragic Deepwater Horizon disaster is that safety, rigorous oversight and extreme caution should be exercised in building these deep-water rigs.”
Buchanan is a long-time opponent of drilling in or near Florida’s coastline. He praised the new regulations set by the Interior Department that detail national safety requirements regarding drilling. The new regulations include frequent testing of blowout inhibiters, restrictions on drilling and well fluid pressure, and ongoing oversight of deep-water projects.
Buchanan has continued to vote against projects that could jeopardize the Floridian coast. He sponsored legislation in 2011 to prevent Cuba from drilling within 50 miles of Florida. He also sponsored the Preserving Florida’s Coastal Communication Act, H.R. 2630, which prohibits drilling in the Gulf of Mexico within 125 miles of Florida until 2027.
