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Florida senators want Bahamas, US prepared for oil spills

Thu, May 13th 2021, 08:46 AM
Business Environment Public Works/Infrastructure Nassau Guardian Stories

Two United States senators are urging US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to engage with the Bahamian government to ensure that both countries are prepared to respond to any oil spill threats that may occur during any future exploratory oil drilling in Bahamian waters.

Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott said the issue is of “great importance” to Floridians.

“We urge you to engage with the Bahamian government to facilitate discussions between the United States Coast Guard, which is the primary American agency tasked with responding to maritime oil spills, and their Bahamian counterparts to ensure that our nations are prepared to respond jointly to any oil spill threats that may occur during any future exploratory oil drilling in sovereign Bahamian waters,” they wrote in an April 5 letter.
On March 24, just six weeks after announcing its first well – Perseverance #1 – failed to yield commercial quantities of oil, Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) announced its plan to secure an extension for its licenses.
This would be the third time BPC has applied to extend its licenses, this time for a three-year “drill or drop” exploration period – which means that if the company does not drill within three years, the licenses would be forfeited.
In the letter, Rubio and Scott said, “Although BPC has reportedly determined that this site is not viable for additional drilling, it is our understanding that additional leases in Bahamian waters, some just 50 miles from Florida’s shores, are still valid through 2026.
“While there are no indications of imminent drilling at these other locations, Floridians are rightly concerned by the possibility of additional oil exploration so close to Florida’s shores. Floridians are reminded of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, which caused billions of dollars in harm to the economies of the Gulf States, and took an enormous toll on our coastal ecosystems and fisheries.
“The area of southern Florida closest to Bahamian waters is home to the Florida Reef Tract, the third-largest coral barrier reef in the world. This fragile ecosystem is one of the most biodiverse in the United States and is integral to the culture and economy of the Florida Keys.
“Further north, from Miami to Jacksonville, millions of Floridians live along pristine beaches and the Biscayne Bay and Indian River Lagoon estuaries, which are irreplaceable economic engines on which their livelihoods depend. All precautions and preparations to protect these critical ecosystems must be taken.”

“We urge you to engage with the Bahamian government to facilitate discussions between the United States Coast Guard, which is the primary American agency tasked with responding to maritime oil spills, and their Bahamian counterparts to ensure that our nations are prepared to respond jointly to any oil spill threats that may occur during any future exploratory oil drilling in sovereign Bahamian waters,” they wrote in an April 5 letter.

On March 24, just six weeks after announcing its first well – Perseverance #1 – failed to yield commercial quantities of oil, Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) announced its plan to secure an extension for its licenses.

This would be the third time BPC has applied to extend its licenses, this time for a three-year “drill or drop” exploration period – which means that if the company does not drill within three years, the licenses would be forfeited.

In the letter, Rubio and Scott said, “Although BPC has reportedly determined that this site is not viable for additional drilling, it is our understanding that additional leases in Bahamian waters, some just 50 miles from Florida’s shores, are still valid through 2026.

“While there are no indications of imminent drilling at these other locations, Floridians are rightly concerned by the possibility of additional oil exploration so close to Florida’s shores. Floridians are reminded of the 2010 Deepwater

Horizon disaster, which caused billions of dollars in harm to the economies of the Gulf States, and took an enormous toll on our coastal ecosystems and fisheries.

“The area of southern Florida closest to Bahamian waters is home to the Florida Reef Tract, the third-largest coral barrier reef in the world. This fragile ecosystem is one of the most biodiverse in the United States and is integral to the culture and economy of the Florida Keys.

“Further north, from Miami to Jacksonville, millions of Floridians live along pristine beaches and the Biscayne Bay and Indian River Lagoon estuaries, which are irreplaceable economic engines on which their livelihoods depend. All precautions and preparations to protect these critical ecosystems must be taken.”

 

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