Bill to end 25 year freeze of coastal drilling

Since the early 1980s there has been a ban on drilling in the gulf states coastal waters. A vote that may take place to day in the house could ease these restrictions. This could bring billions of dollars in revenue to the gulf states. The bill will also ease restrictions on hard rock mining, geothermal energy, as well as programs for rural schools, scholarships, and research into renewable energy sources. There will still be drilling restrictions with in 50 miles of shore. There are opponents on both sides of this bill.



Given our current energy situation I think this is something we need. The opponents are saying that should there be a spill it could hurt the tourism and recreation, not to mention the environmental damage. The money involved is in the billions. That will probably be enough to push this through the government. And all the pork that is on the same bill, schools, scholarships, job training, and last but not least the research into renewable energy sources, I suspect will amount to little more then a pittance of everything else that is on this bill.

The house passed this bill in a vote 232-187

Related News Links:
www.marketwatch.com
www.bradenton.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Bush Does Something Good For The Environment
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[edit on 29-6-2006 by UM_Gazz]

Good news. Now if they can only work on getting the windmill farms installed off of Cape Cod....

The $6 billion investment into rural schools, engineering scholarships, job training and research into renewable energy sources, is just that - an investment in our future. I usually hate riders, but in this case I'm all for it.

Originally posted by jsobecky
Good news.

Now if they can only work on getting the windmill farms installed off of Cape Cod....

The $6 billion investment into rural schools, engineering scholarships, job training and research into renewable energy sources, is just that - an investment in our future. I usually hate riders, but in this case I'm all for it.

Jsobecky,
wow thanks!! I do take that as high praise. I am also all for the renewable energy sorces. But the thing is there just not going to happen while there is so much money in the fossile fuels. The artical says the states could see billions in revune from the develpoment of the fossile fules, how much do you think the would see from the devolpment of renewagle energy?
That is why I would guess the amount of money put into the research is nothing more then a pittance to apease the good people who want it.

the notion that you cannot have an energy policy that includes exploration and development with strong environmental controls is bullhooey. The energy companies just don't want to spend all their extra profits. got to pay those excessive executive bonues somehow. To consider the two as mutually exclusive is simply shortsighted. If we really wanted to do it, it would be done. All will be well and good until there is a major oil spill on say cape cod or the outer banks and then there will be howls of outrage to reach the heavens. If we really want to do something for the environment and the economy that will boost it and create a decades long boom, it would be to invest in and convert as many things as possible to energy efficent and alternative energy designs and really develop an alternative to oil instead of just talking about it. Solar is a makor possiblity and don't say it can't be done...I have seen it done. The Audobhn society in Maine converted an 18th century farm house in the mid 70's and built a state of the art (in 1970's) passive solar building (a big one as well) on the same property and both of them are toasty warm even in winter and when we talk about a maine winter, thats saying something. And if that can be done on the coast of maine it can be done just about anywhere.

This is the best news I have heard in years, and the "environmental concerns" are just a smokescreen. Texas has allowed Oil drilling offshore for years, show me one beach ruined by oil.

this just seems to be a cosmetic solution...

the large, major oil & gas exploration companies
already have deep water rigs operating off the
coasts of the 4 Gulf States; AL, TX, LA, MS

this action only permits more deep water sections
of the Gulf to be drilled (there is no danger of
oil spill impact off cape cod or outer banks, NC)

that is really simplistic and short sighted shazam...when you consider the profits the oil industry makes, environmental protections are really a minor expense. To say it hasn't happened yet is as an excuse to discount concerns is absurd. Just because it hasn't doesn't mean it won't especially if regulations are weakened, relaxed or eliminated all together. There had never been a major oil spill in Alaska until the exxon valdez...there hadn't been a major nuclear accident until 3 mile island, or one that killed people until chenobl.

I hope they do find the aditional oil and gas, but I also feel that it wont fix the supply problem. Even if they do find large quanities there just is not the refinineing capacity. About the only thing it will do is keep profits high for the oil companies while keeping the supply just short enuff to keep the prices going up.