An oil company is asking the state of Florida for permission to drill in the Apalachicola River Basin. The state has so far received 7 comments on the matter from the public—six against, and one in favor.
The request is awaiting a decision from the state. Meanwhile, environmentalists are growing anxious.
The proposed site is surrounded by the Apalachicola River, the Chipola River, and Dead Lakes. The Kleinfelder company wants to use a well that’s already there to drill through the Floridan aquifer in search of oil.
Back in 2019, the state granted Cholla Petroleum, another oil company, a permit to drill in the area, but Cholla never did. Now Kleinfelder wants to drill in the same spot.
Cameron Baxley of the Apalachicola Riverkeeper is concerned the process of drilling could lead to drinking water contamination and habitat destruction.
“Nothing is certain as far as when events like this occur, and the devastating impacts they have on the community and how hard it is to recover," Baxley says.
She says the chemicals from drilling sludge could contaminate drinking water in Port St. Joe, which is located downstream from the site. Mechanical impacts from machinery could also cause damage to animal habitats.
“The Apalachicola River is a rare gem that holds one of the nation’s richest hotspots in biodiversity and it’s one of the last places to see a wild and free landscape," Baxley says. "I’m really grateful to share this place and call it home, and we’ve got to fight to do everything we can to protect it.”
Previous attempts at finding oil in the surrounding areas have come up dry.
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