Environmentalists worry plans to drill near the Apalachicola River could hurt the ecosystem

Environmentalists worry plans to drill near the Apalachicola River system could damage the area’s delicate ecosystem.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has said it plans to approve a permit for Clearwater Land & Minerals Fla, a Louisiana company, to drill for oil in Calhoun County near the Apalachicola River floodplain.

“Nothing is certain as far as when events like this occur," said Apalachicola Riverkeeper Cameron Baxley said. “This area that they’re trying to do the drilling at is really just a bad location and a huge risk. You know, oil and rivers just don’t mix.”

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An Endangered River

Back in 2010, environmentalists worried oil from the BP Deep Horizon disaster could impact the bay. Those concerns led to overharvesting that damaged the oyster reefs, a major source of income for many in the area.

The Apalachicola River and Bay have taken several other hits—from major storms, to a “water war” between Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. A combination of drought and over-drawing of water from upriver, has often left too little water flowing into the bay.

“The water should be flowing down here," Florida's former Governor and current U.S. Senator Rick Scott said in 2013. "It’s impacting the Apalachicola Bay area, so it's impacting us a lot."

Too little water flowing into the bay increased the salinity, which invites predators into the area and further threatens the oyster habitat.

Mark Wallheiser/AP

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FR171224 AP

According to Florida Wildlife officials, the Apalachicola Bay once produced 90 percent of the state’s oysters. Then in 2020, officials closed the bay to wild oyster harvesting until at least December of 2025 in an attempt to give the ecosystem a chance to recover. The bay has been one of the primary ways families in the area have made their livings, but it’s environmentally important too.

“The Apalachicola River is a rare gem that holds one of the nation’s richest hotspots in biodiversity and it’s one of the last places to see a wild and free landscape," Riverkeeper’s Baxley said. "I’m really grateful to share this place and call it home, and we’ve got to fight to do everything we can to protect it.”

Floridians are taking a stance against DEP

Now, Florida residents have started sending letters to DEP, asking for any drilling request to be denied. At the last Franklin County Commission meeting, Commissioner Ricky Jones said he and other commissioners took up the topic.

“By unanimous vote, we agreed to write a letter with my signature and the chair, in opposition to that being pursued," said Jones.

As of this week, DEP has received eight hundred comments from citizens about the project. Most of those condemn the state for even entertaining the idea.

In an interview with WFSU, State Republican Senator Corey Simon blasted the drilling company for “not understanding the impact.” Simon, who serves Florida’s northern counties, said tampering with Apalachicola Bay and its river systems, could directly impact rural counties like Franklin and Calhoun County.

“They need to understand that families are struggling in these areas," Simon explained. "Both counties are fiscally constrained counties. And so, we can't have anything at this point that is going to hurt their ability to come back and feed their families.”

Simon’s frustration comes after he championed a $25M allocation from the legislature to go toward the upkeep of the Apalachicola River.

DEP has yet to officially approve Clearwater’s application to start drilling. Meanwhile, more Floridians continue to advocate for the state to deny the request.

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