Florida Approves Bill Banning Oil & Gas Operations Near Apalachicola - CleanTechnica

The Florida legislature has approved a bill banning oil and gas operations near Apalachicola, a small city in the Florida Panhandle known for its oyster industry that depends heavily on the Gulf of Mexico's waters. This move comes in response to concerns raised by local communities, environmental groups, and industry representatives following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which devastated marine life and the local economy, killing billions of oysters and numerous other species. The threat of oil drilling upriver in the Apalachicola River basin, which spans Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, prompted the formation of the environmental campaign "Kill the Drill," led by stakeholders including the Florida Shellfish Aquaculture Association. In April 2024, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) initially granted a permit for exploratory drilling to Clearwater Land and Minerals, a Louisiana-based company, sparking widespread opposition. A judge later ruled that the DEP had erred in issuing the permit and recommended its denial, which the DEP subsequently followed