Washington-Soon after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve oil and gas exploration into the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) (GM July 3, p. 1), Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) announced that she and other Gulf Coast senators have reached an agreement with Senate leaders to bring to the Senate floor legislation that shares a portion of federal revenues generated by the new leases with Gulf Coast states. All U.S. Gulf senators appear to be on board except for the Florida delegation. The Senate leadership is expected to address Florida concerns prior to proceeding with a vote. However, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) has vowed to block the House measure should it come up in the Senate. Nelson, a proponent of alternative fuels, says the U.S., with only three percent of world reserves, cannot drill itself out of the energy crisis. Nelson, along with Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla), have introduced legislation that will permanently protect Florida from the threat of offshore drilling by providing a long-term guarantee to keep oil and gas rigs at least 260 miles off Tampa Bay. Under the House bill, drilling could occur between 50 or 100 miles offshore, depending on the consent of the state.
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