Okaloosa County Commissioners unanimously approved sending a letter to legislators opposing oil drilling in the Eastern Gulf.
Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel brought the issue up at Tuesday’s regular meeting.
“I can’t believe this keeps coming up again, but we cannot drill in the Gulf, especially the eastern Gulf,” she said, adding she supports President Donald Trump, “but he’s ‘drill, baby, drill.”
The issue is a matter of protecting the environment, the economy, and military readiness, said Ketchel.
“We have to talk about what would happen to the mission of Eglin if we do this,” she added. “Basically, it’s 70% of our economy.”
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Ketchel, who serves on the Defense Strategic Initiative board, said Eglin “would not stay” if there was drilling since it would “completely ruin the mission field.”
The letter, which Ketchel read aloud at the meeting, outlines how the range supports training for all branches of the armed forces and serves as a site for advanced weapon systems testing and water-to-land exercises. It will be sent to President Donald Trump and the entire legislative body.
“We’ve had to do this before,” said Ketchel. “I don’t think they think about the mission of Eglin when they talk about drilling in the Gulf.”
Also on Tuesday, environmental groups sued the Trump administration for its plan to move forward with a December 10 offshore oil and gas sale, which covers 80 million acres in the Gulf, which the Trump administration calls the Gulf of America.
During the 2024 campaign, President Trump was vocal about his support of America’s oil and gas industry, saying that he would “slash red tape” on new drilling and pipelines.
But the risk of drilling and a potential disaster, like the 2010 BP oil spill, is not worth it, according to the commissioner’s letter.
“Any disruption to the Gulf from oil drilling would risk significant environmental damage, which would have a detrimental effect on tourism and local livelihoods,” Ketchel read. “Oil drilling and exploration are incompatible with the unique and sensitive nature of the test range. Any such activities would pose a serious risk to both our national security and our local economy.”
