Rumsfeld warns against Florida offshore drilling (interfers with military)

[UpInArms]

http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-12-01T223835Z_01_N01336211_RTRIDST_0_ENERGY-CONGRESS-DRILLING.XML

WASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld warned the U.S. Senate a proposal to allow drilling
for natural gas off Florida's coast was "incompatible" with
pilot training, weapons testing and other military activities
in the state, according to a letter released on Thursday.

Citing high energy prices, many Republicans are pushing to
open the disputed federal offshore Lease 181, located near the
Florida Panhandle, for oil and natural gas drilling.

The Bush administration is considering whether to permit
drilling there as part of the federal government's 2007-2012
offshore leasing program.

In a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman
John Warner, Rumsfeld said "drilling structures and associated
development would be incompatible with military activities,
such as missile flights, low-flying drone aircraft, weapons
testing and training."

<snip>

The U.S. military operates a live-fire weapons testing area
about 234 miles (375 km) off the coast of Tampa, where it tests
a variety of air- and ship-borne weapons.

...more...

[stepnw1f]

1. Glad to See He Has His Priorities Straight (nt)

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. Say, Rummie, both Korea and Iran have great coastlines - perfect for

target practice. Cuba, too.

[Dr.Phool]

3. Bill Nelson said that at a town hall meeting on Tuesday.

He said that was his ace-up-his-sleeve to prevent the oil drilling from proceeding. I didn't believe him, but I guess he was right. He said he had sent a letter to the pentagon to get an opinion on it, and maybe they could stop it.

On a side note. Last month when I had a meeting with my Congressman, I found out that the William F. Buckley family owns those leases off the Florida coast. Interesting.

[cantstandbush]

4. Oh, the sweet irony! I love it. n/t

[Betsy Ross]

5. Is Rummy's money indrugs instead of oil? n/t

[Syncronaut Seven]

6. It may be about Jeb's political viability

Drilling is not popular with Florida's citizens.

[pinniped]

7. These assholes warn everyone, the $enate is no exception.

.

[IChing]

8. "You can't drill for oil there because we want to be able to bomb

and test our secret weapons on the ocean +radar/sonar testing."

You might ruin our playground.

Both deny any damage they might do to the ocean/coastal ecosystem with their
"needs".

"The U.S. military operates a live-fire weapons testing area
about 234 miles (375 km) off the coast of Tampa, where it tests
a variety of air- and ship-borne weapons." This doesn't even mention what the military does off of the Atlantic coast of Florida.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Drill plan in military's way (Rumsfeld opposes oil drilling in E Gulf)

Oil drilling and military training in the eastern Gulf don't mix, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said in a letter to senators.

BY FRANK DAVIES

[e-mail]


WASHINGTON - In a boost for opponents of oil drilling close to Florida, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said in a letter to senators released Thursday that any drilling activities in the eastern Gulf of Mexico would be ''incompatible'' with the military's need for extensive training missions.

Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who had requested the letter, said it was ``a clear signal to drilling proponents to stop this march toward Tampa Bay.''

The oil and natural gas industry and the Interior Department favor granting leases for more drilling in federal waters in the Gulf, especially in an oil-rich area known as Lease 181 south of Pensacola. Most of that four-million-acre area is west of the line cited by Rumsfeld, but a chunk of it is east of the line.

In his letter, Rumsfeld referred to a ''military mission line'' that runs due south of Panama City, and said that in areas east of that line, ``drilling structures and associated development would be incompatible with military activities, such as missile flights, low-flying drone aircraft, weapons testing and training.''

more: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/13307080.htm