Oct
1
What the Frack, DeSantis?!
Did you watch the second GOP presidential primary debate the other day?
I didn’t, but I understand that things got a bit heated between Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis at one point. It was over the topic of energy independence, specifically DeSantis’ policies as governor of Florida. Haley accused DeSantis, saying,
“Day Two [of your administration] in Florida, you banned fracking. You banned offshore drilling.”
DeSantis denied it but only had a few seconds to respond, which he tried to bring back around to what he would do as President. Haley’s claims were partially true but mostly confused. The situation here in Florida is a little more complicated and deserves to be parsed out.
Re Offshore Drilling
The 37-member Florida Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) meets once every 20 years to decide what if any amendments will be put before Floridians to vote on. The CRC met over Mar. 2017 – May 2018 and addressed 36 proposals. These were pared down, combined, and pared down some more into the 7 measures that eventually appeared on the ballot. All of them were passed on Nov. 6, 2018 — the same day DeSantis was elected governor.
Here’s the description for the relevant part of Amendment 9: “Prohibits drilling for the exploration or extraction of oil and natural gas beneath all state-owned waters between the mean high water line and the state’s outermost territorial boundaries.” (The amendment also banned vaping in enclosed, indoor workplaces.) It got 68.92% of the popular vote — well above the required 60% supermajority — and became effective in Jan. 2019, when DeSantis took office.
“A constitutional amendment was passed by the people of Florida prohibiting offshore drilling, and he executed the will of the people as is his obligation as governor.” — Christina Pushaw, Team DeSantis rapid response director
Re Fracking
DeSantis’ 2018 gubernatorial-election campaign website said,
“With Florida’s geological makeup of limestone and shallow water sources, fracking presents a danger to our state that is not acceptable. On day one, Ron DeSantis will advocate to the Florida Legislature to pass legislation that bans fracking in the state.”
On Jan. 10, 2019 (i.e., “Day Two”), DeSantis issued an executive order that directed the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to “Take necessary actions to adamantly oppose all off-shore oil and gas activities off every coast in Florida and hydraulic fracturing [a.k.a. fracking]…”.
He reiterated his reasoning in a press release:
“Our water and natural resources are the foundation of our economy and our way of life in Florida. The protection of water resources is one of the most pressing issues facing our state. That’s why today I’m taking immediate action to combat the threats which have devastated our local economies and threatened the health of our communities.”
As per PolitiFact,
“Ultimately, what that has meant under DeSantis is that all newly issued oil and gas permits include specific provisions prohibiting hydraulic fracturing, according to a department spokesperson. In fact, no oil and gas permit authorizing hydraulic fracturing has been issued during DeSantis’ administration.”
However, when it comes to actually banning fracking in Florida, no proposed legislation to do so has yet been passed.
For environmental and economic reasons, DeSantis is indeed against drilling off of Florida’s shores. There is such a ban, but he wasn’t responsible for either proposing or making that ban into law. (He wasn’t even in office, yet.) It was democratically done by the people of Florida.
DeSantis is against fracking in Florida for similar reasons. His administration has done its best to oppose it, but no laws to ban it have come across the governor’s desk to sign.
Florida aside, DeSantis is on record as being in favor of both offshore-drilling and fracking in whatever states want to do it, as well as on federal lands. Indeed, we need to do so in our efforts to be energy independent as a nation. He has also promised that, as president he would “greenlight oil and gas drilling, extraction, and transportation.”
Either Nikki Haley was given bad information, or she knew the truth and used partial facts and lies in order to score points against DeSantis in the “debate”. The former is unprofessional, as the info could have easily been double-checked; the latter is unethical and shameful. Will she apologize? Not holdin’ my breath…
