By Charlotte Crane - 1/1/2009
The Florida Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus has endorsed state and federal energy policies allowing production of oil and natural gas from existing leases at least 30 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, if certain conditions are imposed by lawmakers. Those conditions: Make offshore drilling part of a comprehensive energy policy dedicated to reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil; make sure production facilities incorporate the most advanced zero-discharge systems; change the current revenue-sharing plan affecting Gulf resources to provide a significant share for Florida; and set a five-year moratorium on new leases in the eastern Gulf. Also: The country’s military mission should have priority in the offshore Gulf.
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