Trump backflips on oil in Florida
THE Trump administration said yesterday it would not allow oil drilling off the coast of Florida, abruptly reversing course under pressure from Republican Governor Rick Scott.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said, after a brief meeting with Mr Scott at the Tallahassee airport, that drilling would be “off the table” when it comes to waters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean off Florida.
The change of course — just five days after Mr Zinke announced the offshore drilling plan — highlights the political importance of Florida, where President Donald Trump narrowly won the state’s 29 electoral votes in the 2016 election and has encouraged Mr Scott to run for Senate.
The state is also important economically, with a multi-billion dollar tourism business built on sunshine and miles and miles of white sandy beaches.
Mr Zinke said “Florida is obviously unique” and that the decision to remove the state came after meetings and discussion with Mr Scott.
Mr Zinke announced plans last week to greatly expand offshore oil drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic and Pacific oceans, including several possible drilling operations off Florida, where drilling is now blocked. The plan was immediately met with bipartisan opposition on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
Mr Scott, who is expected to run for Senate later this year, came out against the Trump administration plan when it was first announced, saying his top priority was to ensure that Florida’s natural resources were protected.
Other Republican governors also oppose the plan.
Mr Scott said he was pleased at the administration’s change of heart. “It’s a good day for Florida,” he said.