Rep. Rick Kriseman Response to Announcement of Process for Offshore Drilling Study

State Rep. Rick Kriseman (D-St. Petersburg) issued the following statement in response to Senate President Jeff Atwater’s announcement of a detailed and comprehensive review of the implications of offshore oil drilling:

“I am very pleased with President Atwater’s call for a serious and thorough analysis of drilling in state waters. A fact-based discussion is what Floridians deserve. It is what they expect from the Florida Legislature, and it will be a welcomed departure from the recklessness that we’ve seen thus far.

“In addition to the partnership with Florida State University’s Institute for Energy Systems, Economics and Sustainability (IESES) and the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida, I encourage President Atwater and other legislators to utilize the expertise of the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science. It is a first-rate oceanography program with strong ties to the St. Petersburg headquarters of the U.S. Geological Survey; SRI International, an independent nonprofit research institute; and the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

“Given the impact that oil drilling would have on the Tampa Bay area, USF’s involvement would lend increased credibility to the requested analysis.”