http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100113/BREAKINGNEWS/100113022/
Eglin Air Force Base commander says drilling off Florida’s coast could affect operations
BY JIM ASH * FLORIDA TODAY CAPITAL BUREAU * JANUARY 13, 2010
TALLAHASSEE — In an unusually candid acknowledgement, the commander of Eglin Air Force Base told lawmakers Wednesday that oil and gas drilling in Florida waters could pose a threat to military operations.
Col. Bruce McClintock, who commands 5,400 men and women and a base that generates $1.54 billion in economic activity, told the House Military Affairs and Local Policy Committee that pipelines associated with drilling could interfere with flight testing.
When Eglin tests missiles by firing them at drone aircraft over the Gulf of Mexico, the drones and the spent missiles “have to fall somewhere,” McClintock said. The problem arises when the industry installs above-water pumping stations for the pipelines, McClintock said. The pumping stations attract sport fishing and put boaters at risk, he said. “Is there a potential for offshore operations to affect military operations? The answer is yes,” he said.
Republican House leaders last spring launched a late-session proposal to lift a two-decade ban on oil and gas drilling in state waters. The issue is scheduled to be discussed again Thursday by the House Select Policy Council on Strategic & Economic Planning.
The military has largely been silent on the issue. McClintock said base commanders have been ordered to refer most questions to the Secretary of the Air Force. His statements came in response to a committee member’s questions.
Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said McClintock’s remarks are still not enough to convince him to oppose offshore drilling. However, he said he will vote against offshore drilling when he is convinced it threatens the bases in his Panhandle district. “Our military officials are being more and more forthright,” Gaetz said.
Tallahassee lobbyist Frank Matthews, a chief drilling supporter, said military operations can be protected by exclusion zones. “The entire coast is not a military training area,” he said.
The more lawmakers learn about the potential threats of offshore drilling, the less likely they are to approve it, said Audubon of Florida lobbyist Eric Draper. “All of the claims that the industry made, about energy independence, that it’s safe, just aren’t turning out to be true,” he said.
Special thanks to Richard Charter , as ever, for alerting us to this.