Apalachicola River Credit: Photo via Lightning Drone Imagery/Shutterstock

A bill that would require the state to apply a “balancing test” in considering proposed gas or oil drilling permits near certain waterbodies and shore areas won unanimous approval in a Senate committee on Thursday and now goes to the full Senate for consideration.

The measure (SB 1300), sponsored by North Florida Republican Corey Simon, differs from its House companion (HB 1143), which would ban oil and gas drilling within 10 miles of a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NEER). There are three NEER’s in Florida — the Apalachicola in North Florida, the Guana Tolomato Matanzas in Ponta Verde Beach, and Rookery Bay in Naples.

The House bill sponsors, North Florida Republican Jason Shoaf and Democrat Allison Tant, have said that their legislation is a response to a decision last year by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to permit an exploratory oil well along the Apalachicola River.

Wakulla County resident Hunter Levine, host of the Captain’s Collective podcast, which focuses on the fishing industry, spoke before the Senate Agriculture, Environment, and General Government Appropriations Committee on Thursday. He said that he’s interviewed nearly 200 fishing industry leaders across the globe and learned from their shared experiences.

“And whether they’re fishing guides or small business owners, oystermen, artists, photographers — they’ve all shared one common lesson, and that it’s the decisions that we make today determine the opportunities that we afford others tomorrow,” he said. “These amazing places are not an accident, they are a result. … A result of good policy and protection, something that this bill offers.”

“The possibility of potentially drilling is very concerning for my business and for the future of these farmers,” added Jeff Wren of Rattlesnake Cove Oysters. “I appreciate Sen. Simon looking out for our way of life.”

Both House and Senate versions of the legislation have cleared all of their committees and await a final vote in their respective chambers.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

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