‘Appalling’ offshore drilling plan faces bipartisan blowback

The Trump administration’s plan to allow oil drilling 100 miles off of Florida’s west coast has drawn unanimous criticism from state politicians, local marine experts and tourism stakeholders. 

J.P. Brooker, the St. Petersburg-based director of Florida conservation for the Ocean Conservancy, called the Interior Department’s proposal a “terrible step backwards.” The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce noted that “a single incident could devastate our tourism industry.” 

Plans to reopen federal waters to new oil and gas leasing came to light Nov. 20, a day after Brooker and local marine experts met to discuss the future of Florida’s coastlines. He and others believe that weakened oversight and environmental enforcement are contributing to declining water quality and seagrass loss.

“The oil and gas industry is a terrible neighbor for Florida,” Brooker told the Catalyst. “It’s their rigs. It’s the miles of pipeline they leave on the bottom of the ocean. It’s the potential for oil spills. We should be looking at alternative energy sources that make Florida cleaner and greener.” 

The president proposed reopening parts of the Gulf for drilling during his first term. Those plans also received bipartisan pushback, leading Trump to extend a longstanding ban ahead of the 2020 elections. 

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the latest proposal would help ensure that “the nation remains energy dominant for decades to come.” The initiative’s public comment period opened Nov. 24 and will close Jan. 23, 2026. 

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Democrat, accused the presidential administration of “selling out Florida” to “big oil donors.” She called the plans a “slap in the face after the damage done by the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout” in 2010. 

However, Republicans have also criticized the plan en masse. Gov. Ron DeSantis said it would “weaken protections that we worked very hard to establish offshore.” 

U.S. Sen Ashley Moody said the proposal is “HIGHLY concerning” in a recent social media post. “We will be engaging directly with the department on this issue,” she wrote. 

“Frankly, it’s appalling, because it’s so not what Floridians want that we basically have a unified Floridian voice saying, ‘Don’t do this,’” Brooker said. “And anytime you’ve got people from across the political spectrum … all saying the same thing, which is do not drill off the coast of Florida, you should know that your policy decision is way off the mark.” 

The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce noted that over 100,000 families in Pinellas County “rely in one way or another on tourism.” CEO Charlie Justice said in a prepared statement that “our businesses cannot afford that kind of risk, nor can our residents who rely on tourism-driven employment.” 

The organization cited studies from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program that show “even the perception” of an environmental threat can deflate coastal property values and deter new investments. Brooker said the Deepwater Horizon oil spill had “years-long impacts to fisheries,” which sustain over 200,000 jobs in Florida. 

“Tourists aren’t coming to beaches that are filled with oil,” he added. “Nobody wants to be here if they’re looking at an oil rig.” 

Brooker “cannot imagine” the Interior Department’s plan coming to fruition. However, he said the presidential administration’s current policies have “shackled” environmental quality initiatives. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding cuts have impeded pollutant monitoring and mitigation efforts, Brooker said. He also warned that the president’s proposed budget would “dramatically slash” money for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

St. Petersburg is home to the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Southeast Regional Office, which operates under NOAA. The agency also oversees the National Weather Service, and Brooker said funding cuts would have local impacts. 

The Washington D.C.-based Ocean Conservancy is “fighting really hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Brooker also noted that “unbridled” population growth is affecting Florida waterways, and recently introduced legislation would prevent local governments from enacting related ordinances.

However, there is some positive news for local marine stakeholders. Brooker said the Tampa Bay Estuary Program has found that “we’re not still dealing with the same levels of pollution that we were” following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

“There are still all kinds of nutrient pollution coming into the bay, and there’s a lot of issues with overall water quality, but the good story there is that post-hurricane impacts have alleviated considerably,” Brooker elaborated. “This has been a really quiet hurricane season, and I think that has helped us.” 

The area has avoided a significant red tide event for the past few years, which Brooker called an improvement. He also noted that “some sea grass recovery” in Tampa Bay is “a good sign.” 

“We’re seeing some glimmers of hope, but we’re by no means out of the woods,” Brooker said. “There are still major reforms needed in terms of Florida’s surface water quality to fully protect us in the long run.”