Florida Senate - 2019 SB 1554
By Senator Rodriguez
37-00713B-19 20191554__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the regulation of oil and gas
3 resources; amending s. 377.24, F.S.; prohibiting the
4 Division of Resource Management within the Department
5 of Environmental Protection from granting permits for
6 a gas or oil well within the Everglades Protection
7 Area; amending s. 377.242, F.S.; prohibiting the
8 department from issuing a permit for a structure
9 intended for the drilling for, or production of, oil,
10 gas, or other petroleum products within the Everglades
11 Protection Area; providing an effective date.
12
13 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15 Section 1. Subsection (10) is added to section 377.24,
16 Florida Statutes, to read:
17 377.24 Notice of intention to drill well; permits;
18 abandoned wells and dry holes.—
19 (10) A permit to drill a gas or oil well may not be granted
20 on any portion of the Everglades Protection Area, as defined in
21 s. 373.4592(2).
22 Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
23 377.242, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
24 377.242 Permits for drilling or exploring and extracting
25 through well holes or by other means.—The department is vested
26 with the power and authority:
27 (1)(a) To issue permits for the drilling for, exploring
28 for, or production of oil, gas, or other petroleum products
29 which are to be extracted from below the surface of the land,
30 including submerged land, only through the well hole drilled for
31 oil, gas, and other petroleum products.
32 1. A No structure intended for the drilling for, or
33 production of, oil, gas, or other petroleum products may not be
34 permitted or constructed on any submerged land within any bay or
35 estuary or within any portion of the Everglades Protection Area,
36 as defined in s. 373.4592(2).
37 2. A No structure intended for the drilling for, or
38 production of, oil, gas, or other petroleum products may not be
39 permitted or constructed within 1 mile seaward of the coastline
40 of the state.
41 3. A No structure intended for the drilling for, or
42 production of, oil, gas, or other petroleum products may not be
43 permitted or constructed within 1 mile of the seaward boundary
44 of any state, local, or federal park or aquatic or wildlife
45 preserve or on the surface of a freshwater lake, river, or
46 stream.
47 4. A No structure intended for the drilling for, or
48 production of, oil, gas, or other petroleum products may not be
49 permitted or constructed within 1 mile inland from the shoreline
50 of the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, or any bay or estuary
51 or within 1 mile of any freshwater lake, river, or stream unless
52 the department is satisfied that the natural resources of such
53 bodies of water and shore areas of the state will be adequately
54 protected in the event of accident or blowout.
55 5. Without exception, after July 1, 1989, a No structure
56 intended for the drilling for, or production of, oil, gas, or
57 other petroleum products may not be permitted or constructed
58 south of 26°00′00″ north latitude off Florida’s west coast and
59 south of 27°00′00″ north latitude off Florida’s east coast,
60 within the boundaries of Florida’s territorial seas as defined
61 in 43 U.S.C. s. 1301. After July 31, 1990, no structure intended
62 for the drilling for, or production of, oil, gas, or other
63 petroleum products may be permitted or constructed north of
64 26°00′00″ north latitude off Florida’s west coast to the western
65 boundary of the state bordering Alabama as set forth in s. 1,
66 Art. II of the State Constitution, or located north of 27°00′00″
67 north latitude off Florida’s east coast to the northern boundary
68 of the state bordering Georgia as set forth in s. 1, Art. II of
69 the State Constitution, within the boundaries of Florida’s
70 territorial seas as defined in 43 U.S.C. s. 1301.
71
72 Each permit shall contain an agreement by the permitholder that
73 the permitholder will not prevent inspection by division
74 personnel at any time. The provisions of this section
75 prohibiting permits for drilling or exploring for oil in coastal
76 waters do not apply to any leases entered into before June 7,
77 1991.
78 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.