Props this morning to WUSF 89.7’s Scott Finn for reporting on a study supporting offshore drilling paid for by Florida taxpayers and presented to members of the Legislature in April that said that any oil spills would be “rare, small and easily contained.”

According to Finn, the presentation by the Willis Group cost $200, 000.  From the story:

The Willis Group study received almost no coverage in the media, and neither the lawmakers who commissioned it nor the men who completed the study were willing to talk with WUSF about it.

The report by the Willis Group cost $200,000 because it was a “rush job,” according to Jill Chamberlin, spokeswoman for Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul.

She says Cretul commissioned the report at the request of Rep. Dean Cannon, who’s in line to become the next House Speaker. Cannon has led the effort to allow oil drilling in Florida’s territorial waters, which reach about 10 miles offshore in the Gulf.

A spokeswoman said Cannon was travelling and too busy to speak to us about the Willis report.

Readers will remember how Cannon and incoming Senate president Mike Haridopolos were gung-ho to begin drilling for oil and natural gas in state waters, potentially as close to three miles off of Florida’s beach shores.  Since the massive oil spill in the Gulf, both men have backed off any intentions of going forward with such a plan.  A call for a special session in the Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot allowing Florida voters to approve such a ban hasn’t yet happened;  Governor Charlie Crist expressed immediate interest in doing so, but has said recently that there aren’t enough votes in the House to call for the session.

This article appears in May 27 – Jun 2, 2010.