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WASHINGTON - In the lurching, on-again, off-again campaign to allow more oil and gas drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the march is on again.
With the backing of Gov. Jeb Bush, the U.S. House Resources Committee on Wednesday will consider a sweeping compromise that would allow drilling as close as 125 miles off Florida's coast in exchange for giving the Legislature and governor control of waters much closer to shore.
The proposal would allow drilling in much of Lease-Sale Area 181, an underwater tract that is 213 miles off the Tampa Bay area. The tract is believed to be rich in oil reserves.
The governor's top environmental official praised the deal, saying it will provide historic protection against "the environmental and economic threat of oil drilling" at a time when the state is under increasing pressure to open its waters.
The first of several federal bans on drilling in the eastern gulf expires in 2007, with the rest expiring in 2012.
"Our agreement provides more safeguards than currently exist today and empowers the state of Florida to preserve and protect huge expanses of water surrounding our state," wrote Colleen M. Castille, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The proposal is part of a bill called the Ocean States Options Act of 2005 that would cover the entire U.S. coastline and requires congressional approval. The Senate currently has no plans to consider it, but a deal supported by Bush and a large share of the state's congressional Republicans could give impetus to the plan as a lasting, if politically imperfect, solution to an issue that has harried the state's politicians for more than 20 years.
Rep. Richard Pombo, a California Republican who is chairman of the Resources Committee, has been negotiating with Florida lawmakers and the governor's office since late July trying to reach an agreement. He expects his committee to approve the provision Wednesday as part of its share of a massive budget bill coming before the House next month.
Several Florida Republicans said the plan goes a long way toward addressing their concerns with earlier versions of the deal. In addition to creating a 125-mile buffer around all of Florida, it would exempt some areas deemed key to military training in the gulf, and it would allow companies that already hold leases for drilling within 100 miles of shore to trade for leases farther offshore.
It also would repeal the inventory of all offshore oil and gas reserves that was mandated in this summer's energy bill. Most of Florida's delegation had voted against the energy bill because of the inventory, and repealing it would sweeten the deal.
But most said Monday they wanted more time to consider it. Some said they would wait to decide until the Resources Committee acts, because details could change. Others were preoccupied with Hurricane Wilma.
"The attractive part is it gives control of the waters off Florida to the state of Florida, not to someone at the Department of Interior ... or some other state," said Dan McFaul, a spokesman for Rep. Jeff Miller, a Pensacola-area Republican who has led talks with Pombo along with Reps. Mike Bilirakis, R-Tarpon Springs, and Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala.
"We've got a few weeks, a few days, to really dive into the legislation ... and make sure there's nothing we're overlooking."
At least two Florida Republicans came out against the deal Monday, Reps. Mark Foley of Palm Beach County and Connie Mack of Naples, saying drilling isn't worth the environmental risk. Mack and Rep. Jim Davis, D-Tampa, who is running for governor, were circulating a letter to Pombo opposing the deal Monday night, trolling for signers.
"If we stand together as Floridians, I think we can stop this latest assault, but it will be harder without the governor on our side," Davis said.
Of the 4.4-million acres within Lease-Sale Area 181 now closed to drilling, the western 2.4-million acres would be opened under the proposal. The rest would be protected, including the so-called stovepipe-shaped area 23 miles off Pensacola.
The budget bill already is expected to carry several controversial items, including $10-billion in Medicaid cuts, $70-billion for long-term tax cuts, and drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
If the offshore drilling deal makes it harder to pass, the House leadership may simply strip it from the bill altogether.
Even if it passes the House, the deal's future is far from certain. The Senate is not expected to consider it separately, so it would have to be added to the final budget bill when House and Senate negotiators meet to resolve discrepancies between each chamber's version.
That can be difficult. The state's two senators, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Mel Martinez, also oppose Pombo's deal, although procedurely the budget bill cannot be filibustered.
--Times staff writer Joni James in Tallahassee contributed to this report.