2010 archive

A Florida official welcomed the news Thursday that oil had stopped gushing into the Gulf of Mexico — for the first time in 87 days. But testing of a new well cap must continue to determine that there are no leaks. “While it is hard not to have a moment of elation,” Department of Environmental […]

House Speaker Larry Cretul told fellow House members on Thursday they could expect a “very short” stay in Tallahassee for next week’s oil drilling special legislative session, suggesting there would be no serious consideration of a drilling ban. Cretul, R-Ocala, made his announcement shortly after Senate President Jeff Atwater sent his own letter to the

With a special legislative session scheduled to begin next week to consider a ban on oil drilling, Florida officials watched and waited again Wednesday to learn whether a gushing oil well in the Gulf of Mexico can be capped. BP delayed launching tests on Tuesday to determine whether the new containment system might work and

A special session is only a week away but no firm plan has been reached by House and Senate leaders on what should happen. Gov. Charlie Crist wants lawmakers to put a constitutional ban on oil drilling on the November ballot, but House leaders remain opposed to it. The question, however, is whether legislators are

BP appears to be rejecting Gov. Charlie Crist’s request for an additional $50 million for Florida tourism advertising in response to the ongoing oil spill. Florida received $25 million in June for advertising to offset the negative images of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. On June 30, Crist sent a letter to BP saying

The sight of oil washing up on Florida’s beaches and the empty restaurants, souvenir stores and bait shops already has led to the filing of numerous lawsuits — creating perhaps a sense that attorneys are closing in like sharks at the smell of blood, or money, in the water. But some attorneys who recently filed

Saying he felt a “compelling duty to protect Florida,” Gov. Charlie Crist on Thursday said he is calling a special session July 20-23 to consider a constitutional ban on drilling in Florida waters. Crist previously said he supported drilling as long as it was safe enough and far enough away to protect the coast. But

An aerial view of manatees gathered near the mouth of Three Sisters Springs. The owner of 57 acres near the Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River tentatively has agreed to sell his land to the state for $10.5 million, a landowner representative said Thursday. The Florida Communities Trust on June 24 agreed to pay $10.5

Bud Chiles, independent candidate for governor, said Wednesday he will push for a 20-percent renewable energy requirement as governor and push to reauthorize the solar energy rebate program. Chiles announced the initiatives after touring the Florida Solar Energy Center in Cocoa. He also criticized his opponents’ and their parties for accepting donations from utilities. “I

More oil-skimming vessels are on the way to the Gulf of Mexico while the BP oil spill is not expected to affect Florida this week, state officials said Tuesday. U. S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Melbourne, visited the state Emergency Operations Center and announced that 27 U. S. Navy skimming vessels were being deployed to the