Scott, Nelson both take aim at Trump drilling plan
TALLAHASSEE (FOX 13) - The Trump administration is planning to open the waters off both coasts of Florida for oil drilling.
The move is intended to increase the country's energy independence, but it's already coming under fire, even by many of Florida's top Republicans.
Even Gov. Rick Scott - one of Donald Trump's most prominent Florida allies - says he is opposed to the plan.
"I have already asked to immediately meet with (Interior) Secretary (Ryan) Zinke to discuss the concerns I have with this plan."
Those who depend on Florida's tourist economy also say they're concerned.
Kylee Bartlett is a waitress at Crabby Bill's on St. Pete Beach and remembers being laid off from a previous job after the 2010 BP oil spill.
"I have bills I have to pay," she said. "They had to cut drastically, and I was one of them."
RELATED: President Trump to vastly expand offshore drilling
The Trump Administration's order would allow the sale of offshore drilling leases in over 90 percent of America's outer continental shelf waters.
Environmental groups fear it could mean oil rigs within a hundred miles of Tampa Bay.
The Sierra Club insists more oil isn't only unnecessary, it's bad for the environment.
They see political pressure as being the only way to stop the plan and will be organizing protests.
"The Trump Administration will back down if they think they are going to lose Florida," said Frank Jackalone of the Sierra Club of Florida.
A spate of elected officials, including several Republicans, said they were opposed to the plan.
Sen. Marco Rubio said the Obama-era ban on Gulf drilling should extend to 2027.
Democrat Bill Nelson demanded a vote on such a measure.
"Every Floridian remembers what happened to us when the beaches of Pensacola were blackened with tar and oil," Nelson said during a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday.
The Trump Administration says not all areas are suitable for drilling and calls for it to be well-regulated and responsible.
They insist drilling can create not just energy independence, but what they call "energy dominance."
The Interior Dept. is accepting public comment for the rest of January.
A hearing is scheduled in Tallahassee February 8.