The Trump administration’s plan to allow oil drilling 100 miles off of Florida’s coast received unified opposition from local elected officials, business owners and conservationists Friday.
A diverse, bipartisan group of speakers warned against the irreversible environmental and financial damage posed by drilling operations. The event, held at Pier 60 Park on Clearwater Beach, was organized by the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce and the Don’t Drill Florida Coalition.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said he “debated against state leaders” on a similar proposal as a county commissioner in 2009. A few months later, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill decimated marine life and ocean-based industries along the Gulf Coast.
“That impact reached our beaches, our fisheries and our tourism economy,” Welch said. “Thousands of jobs were lost. Millions of dollars washed away. Oil spills don’t respect state lines or imaginary boundaries on a map.
“Simply put, for Florida, this is a terrible idea.”
Plans to reopen federal waters to new oil and gas leasing came to light Nov. 20. Chamber CEO Charlie Justice said the proposed area in the eastern Gulf is “dangerously close” to Florida, and roughly the size of South Carolina.
He also noted the proposal has united Floridians, regardless of their ideological differences, during a “time of deep political division.” Justice said oil drilling compromises military readiness, as the eastern Gulf of Mexico is a critical training ground for U.S. armed forces.
The plan also endangers the state and local economy. Tourism generated a $10 billion economic impact and supported over 100,000 jobs in Pinellas County last year.
“These are not theoretical risks,” Justice added. “These are real consequences for real people.”
The event came hours before the proposal’s public comment period at 11:59 p.m. Friday. Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector said he could not think of “a more important non-partisan, bipartisan effort.”
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum previously said the proposal would help ensure that “the nation remains energy dominant for decades to come.” Rector said opponents want to protect the area’s natural beauty and “human life.”
He noted that 100 miles does not provide a significant buffer. Hurricane Helene was the same distance away from Pinellas County’s coast, and its storm surge inundated the area in September 2024.
The county’s tourism development tax, a 6% surcharge on overnight stays, generates over $90 million annually. That funding supports beach renourishment projects, area infrastructure and investments in local cultural institutions, Welch said.
“A single major oil spill could shut all that down overnight,” he continued. “It doesn’t matter if the spill affects the Panhandle or not – when folks think Florida is impacted, they cancel visits across the board. That’s what we’ve experienced.”
Welch and his fellow speakers implored residents to oppose the proposal. “Our Florida communities, and our way of life, are too important to risk,” he said.
Joe Handy, CEO of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, highlighted persistent environmental impacts stemming from the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found oil contamination present in every species of sea turtle tested 10 years later.
The oil rig’s explosion and subsequent leak killed 11 people, hundreds of thousands of turtles and over 1,100 dolphins. Handy said it was “the largest dolphin mass mortality event ever recorded in the northern Gulf.”
A University of South Florida study found that fish were also still affected by the spill a decade later. Captain Dustin Pack, owner of Fly Tide Charters, stressed the importance of being proactive rather than reactive.
He recalled the Piney Point incident in 2021 that led to over 200 million gallons of polluted water discharging into Tampa Bay and the “largest fish kill we’ve ever seen.” Pack noted that multiple media outlets reported on the dangers, “but nothing was done.”
The goal is to prevent an oil spill before it occurs by extending a longstanding ban. President Donald Trump considered reopening parts of the Gulf for drilling during his first term, but shelved the plan ahead of the 2020 elections due to bipartisan blowback.
Pack encouraged anyone listening to research the Taylor Energy oil spill, which occurred off the coast of Louisiana in 2004 after Hurricane Ivan slammed into a rig. It took 15 years for the government and private contractors to contain most of the leak.
However, some oil continues spilling from the site. Alika Esperson, co-lead at genCLEO, hopes to avoid those generational impacts in Florida.
Her youth-led, statewide organization focuses on climate advocacy. Esperson said over 10,000 young people agree that “we need permanent protections” from drilling.
She encourages stakeholders to support the Florida Coastal Protection Act, which, if passed, would permanently prohibit offshore oil and gas operations. The bipartisan federal bill was introduced in August 2025; its sponsors include local U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor.
“We shouldn’t have to fight the same threat again and again,” Esperson said. “We need lasting solutions that don’t disappear with the next plan or the next administration.”
This content provided in partnership with StPeteCatalyst.com
