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Policy Review Could Open Drilling Off Florida's Coast

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By BILLY HOUSE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 6, 2008

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert Gates is considering whether to revise the Pentagon's own policy that prevents most oil and gas drilling within military training areas in the eastern Gulf of Mexico off of Florida.

Opening this area could bring oil drilling as close as 50 miles from Florida's west coast.

"What he has done is agree to take a look at the policy," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Tuesday.

Any relaxation of existing Pentagon rules would come on the heels of President Bush's call for Congress to lift a ban on offshore drilling, and amid a fierce debate within Congress over whether to do so.

Opponents of lifting the drilling moratorium fear any such move by Gates could also undercut their national security arguments.

Morrell said that he would not characterize Gates as coming under any pressure from the White House or other sources to change the Pentagon's policy, even as the push to open those areas seems to have gained strength and public support. It has even become a centerpiece of Republican John McCain's presidential campaign's energy plan.

"Frankly, he's Gates' been approached by people on both sides of the issue ... and he's agreed to take a look at it and see if any changes are warranted,"Morrell said.

No deadline has been set for Gates' decision, but Morrell said there are a number of offices within the Defense Department reviewing the matter, and that, "we do things as quickly as we can."

Morrell's comments Tuesday came after congressional staffers were told this week by Air Force officials that revisions by Gates to the policy are "forthcoming."

A Line In The Gulf

Since 1983, the defense department and the Department of the Interior's Mineral Management Services have agreed upon a "line" in the Gulf that sets aside space for military training.

The line is set about 235 miles west of Tampa Bay.
Gulf waters to the east have been closed to new oil or gas leasing. Those areas have been used extensively by the Navy and Air Force, in particular, for conducting various training missions, including air-to-air gunnery, rocket and missile research and testing, sonar buoy operations, pilot training and aircraft carrier operations.

Opponents of lifting the ban on offshore drilling, such as Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, argue the oil and gas industry does not need "to put oil rigs in the last unfettered American military training range that's out in the eastern Gulf of Mexico."

"We'll have to wait and see what he Gates puts out," said Dan McLaughlin, a Nelson spokesman.

Military Trains In Eastern Gulf

There is no indication the military would abandon the eastern Gulf as a main training area. McLaughlin said Nelson spoke to Gates about the issue last week and was told nothing would be done that degraded or interfered with the military needs in the Gulf.

"Maybe he Gates wants to sort of expand the approach and say, 'OK, there's an energy situation and we'll look at it drilling applications on a case-by-case basis," McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said the senator worries that would be seized upon as a signal by some in Congress that the military is OK with the idea of lifting the moratorium, "and it will give Republicans room to run with the ball."

Lawmakers who are pushing for more offshore oil drilling confirm they have not gotten any kind of commitment from Gates.

"I can tell you that the 'Gang of 10' was in contact with the Department of Defense," said Adam Sharp, a spokesman for Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat.

He was referring to the group of 10 bipartisan lawmakers, including Landrieu, who last week unveiled a compromise proposal that could move drilling within 50 miles of Florida's coast. On Friday, Barack Obama expressed his tentative support of the group's approach as one part of a comprehensive strategy to solving America's energy needs, although he had previously said he would enforce the offshore drilling ban.

"Various members of the group had communicated with Secretary Gates," said Sharp, who said no promises were made.

Chris Oynes, associate director of the Minerals Management Service's Offshore Minerals Management Program, confirmed the Bush administration's efforts to get a wide range of input regarding opening up the area to more drilling.

"It's still in a very preliminary stage," he said. "We have said many times that military parameters are paramount. If there is a serious issue, the military's needs are going to win."

Reporter Billy House can be reached at (202) 662-7673 or bhouse@tampatrib.com.

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