| From: Extensive Media Enterprises
Sunburn is authored and assembled by: Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean,
Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson. Fifteen years ago, 11 men died in a ball of fire, marking the Gulf Coast's worst environmental disaster. In response, Florida voters banned drilling in state waters. During his first term, President Donald Trump used his authority to prevent further drilling in the Southeast, including off Florida's Gulf Coast, for a decade. However, the impacts of the BP oil spill on wildlife and fishing are still felt across the Panhandle today. Now, incredibly, the federal government is reportedly developing a plan to bring the drilling threat to Florida — at point-blank range. In the same waters where BP oil once flowed, we could see a fleet of permanent drilling rigs ready to unleash destruction, potentially even harming our armed forces.  Fifteen years after the BP oil spill, Florida faces another drilling threat in its protected Gulf waters. Early headlines tout the government's apparent retreat from drilling on the Atlantic coast — that's good, but don't be distracted. Government sources indicate that Washington will target protected areas of the Eastern Gulf — the waters where the military trains, where our seafood industry operates, and where coastal economies rely on clean beaches and open water. While federal bureaucrats haven't released their final plan, the time to shout is now — before they commit to anything foolish. Here's what we know — Gulf Coast communities are still struggling, 15 years after the BP oil spill. Ask any commercial fisherman from Pensacola to Apalachicola. We're still using BP recovery funds to rebuild these communities through the TRIUMPH program. Now, we're debating whether to bring the drilling threat even closer — into the very waters that BP oil once crossed on its way to Florida. This entire area was protected by Trump just a few years ago. This is an idea so bad that even Democrats and Republicans agree. "Trust us," says the federal government. We are told not to worry about this drilling situation because "nothing is final." Perhaps there will even be a "100-mile buffer" (as if oil doesn't float). But every horror movie starts with someone saying, "I'm sure it's nothing." In other words, you don't need the final blueprint to see a bad idea forming — and to act against it now. With the BP oil spill, Florida didn't just get tar balls. We got closed beaches, collapsed fisheries, toxic marshes, wildlife coated in sludge, and a tourism industry on life support. And note — we haven't even finished using all the TRIUMPH funds from the last disaster. Maybe the government should complete the cleanup from the previous catastrophic spill before starting another one. This isn't just about dolphins and beach chairs. The Eastern Gulf is where America practices for battles we hope never to see, including against China. Highly active training ranges simulate the South China Sea, providing our military with open, unobstructed space to maintain readiness. This vital capability keeps America's enemies at bay and supports tens of thousands of jobs. That means — Eglin Air Force Base, Tyndall Air Force Base, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Hurlburt Field, and units from around the country that come here to train. You put rigs and seismic equipment in these ranges, and you're not protecting freedom — you're shutting down bases. Nothing says "support our troops" like forcing the 33rd Fighter Wing to dodge drilling towers on its way to a new home in another state. And remind me again — why? Drilling off our shores doesn't lower gas prices in Tallahassee or Sarasota. It doesn't keep the Publix bakery stocked. It doesn't protect us from hurricanes. What does it do? It shifts real environmental and economic consequences to Floridians for the benefit of multinational companies. Some Florida leaders recognize how badly this could go wrong. Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody have introduced the American Shores Protection Act to extend the drilling ban off Florida's coasts — initially championed by Trump — through 2032. On the House side, Reps. Vern Buchanan, Gus Bilirakis, Kathy Castor and Darren Soto and have introduced bipartisan legislation, the Florida Coastal Protection Act, which goes even further to permanently prohibit oil and natural gas exploration, development and production off Florida's coast. Our leaders in Congress are saying — no more games. Protect the Gulf. Lock it down. But that's not enough. We need Florida's entire congressional delegation to unite and reach out to the President now. We also need the Governor to step up, as he often has, for Florida's waters. And we need influential Floridians with White House contacts to make calls today. This isn't about party lines or headlines. This is about unity. It's about every Florida leader — city Mayors and entrepreneurs, state legislators and federal lawmakers — standing together and saying: not here, not now, not ever. Tourism, seafood, military readiness, and coastal property values all rise or fall together. One spill, one misstep, or even a steady stream of routine daily pollution — the cost is enormous, the recovery can take decades, and the risk is not worth it. Before anyone in D.C. gets too clever, here's the Florida position — repeated slowly for those in the back: if you couldn't responsibly manage the last disaster, you don't get to start the next one. Until every penny from the last catastrophe is allocated, every family is made whole, every marsh restored, every commercial fishery recovers, and every military commander says "we're good" — the Gulf stays off-limits. Florida values white beaches, clean water, steady tourism and a strong military. We don't like outsiders threatening our way of life. Florida needs to stop this drilling before it even gets started. | 
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