TALLAHASSEE, Florida — A state judge on Monday recommended that Florida deny an oil drilling permit near the Apalachicola River, saying a spill would have “catastrophic consequences” for surrounding streams and swamps.
Details: Administrative Law Judge Lawrence P. Stevenson, in a 52-page recommended order, sided with Apalachicola Riverkeeper in challenging a proposed permit issued last year.
Stevenson wrote that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection “unreasonably concluded” the proposed drilling site is not in a sensitive area despite its proximity to the river. He said Apalachicola Riverkeeper made a stronger case for considering a wider at-risk area.
“The Site is surrounded by swamplands,” Stevenson wrote. “A spill would have catastrophic consequences due to the proximity of the well to nearby streams, wetlands, and ponds.”
