Lawmakers cut deal to allow offshore drilling

WASHINGTON - A small group of key lawmakers have reached a deal to allow oil and gas drilling 100 miles from the nation’s shore, or closer if states choose to allow it, marking a major change in U.S. policy and setting up what is likely to be a bruising fight among coastal-state lawmakers in Congress.

. . .

The House Resources Committee is scheduled to consider it Wednesday. The deal is not as generous for Florida as the one rejected by Florida House members late last year, which would have kept drilling at least 125 miles off the state’s shores.

. . .

As hashed out over the weekend, Resources Committee officials said, the deal would ban oil and natural gas exploration within 50 miles of the U.S. coast, unless states petition the Interior Department to allow it.

Drilling would be allowed 50 to 100 miles from shore, unless state legislatures affirmatively act to block it every five years. States would have one year to act to block natural gas leasing and three years to block oil leasing.

Everything past 100 miles offshore would be open to drilling.

If it passes the committee, the full House could consider it as soon as next week, when House leaders have scheduled Energy Week. House Speaker Dennis Hastert has put Putnam, the highest ranking Flroida Republican, in charge of overseeing energy legislation.

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/19/Worldandnation/Lawmakers_cut_deal_to.shtml

125 is the Line in the Sand... Today it is 100..... Gee Jebbie your friends moved the marker... Who would have guess it .

Tourists? we don't need no stinkin tourists - we got the black gold to keep our coffers full:crazy: