Offshore Drilling Petition

The UEL had taken a position against offshore drilling off Florida's Coast in a resolution previously published in April 2009.

Kendrick Meek has started a petition demanding A Moratorium on New Offshore Drilling in the Gulf!

Meek said: "The disaster in the Gulf just underscores the need for a moratorium on any new offshore drilling."

If you want to sign the Meek petition to demand that Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio call for a moratorium on expansion of oil drilling in the Gulf, this is the link.

This is the UEL Resolution:

A RESOLUTION OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT LEAGUE OF GREATER MIAMI, FLORIDA, OPPOSING THE APPROVAL OF OIL DRILLING IN FLORIDA’S WATERS IN AREAS OTHER THAN THOSE ALREADY APPROVED FOR OIL LEASING AND OIL EXPLORATION.

WHEREAS, Florida’s economy depends on its multi-billion dollar tourism industry, which resulted in millions of visitors coming to Florida annually, allowing tourism to generate billions in taxable sales;and

WHEREAS, tourism accounts for a very significant portion of Florida’s revenue and many of those visitors cite the beaches as an influential factor in their decision to visit Florida; and

WHEREAS, tax revenues generated from Florida’s growing tourism industry are critical to continued funding of essential governmental services, including transportation, schools, and public safety; and

WHEREAS, the pristine beaches of the west coast of Florida require the maximum level of protection, and

WHEREAS, it is our belief that despite technological advances in oil drilling technology, there is no positive assurance that catastrophic damage to our coastline, beaches, plant and fish life could be avoided during normal operating conditions or during storm situations; and

WHEREAS, lifting the moratorium on mineral leasing in the Gulf of Mexico poses a threat to the beaches, waterways, economy of Florida, and national security:

THEREFORE, be it resolved, that the Board of Directors of the Urban Environment League of Greater Miami, oppose the approval of oil drilling in Florida’s waters in areas other than those already approved for oil leasing and oil exploration.

UEL Resolution on Oil Drilling Off Our Coast

A RESOLUTION OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT LEAGUE OF GREATER MIAMI, FLORIDA, OPPOSING THE APPROVAL OF OIL DRILLING IN FLORIDA’S WATERS IN AREAS OTHER THAN THOSE ALREADY APPROVED FOR OIL LEASING AND OIL EXPLORATION.

WHEREAS, Florida’s economy depends on its multi-billion dollar tourism industry, which resulted in millions of visitors coming to Florida annually, allowing tourism to generate billions in taxable sales;and

WHEREAS, tourism accounts for a very significant portion of Florida’s revenue and many of those visitors cite the beaches as an influential factor in their decision to visit Florida; and

WHEREAS, tax revenues generated from Florida’s growing tourism industry are critical to continued funding of essential governmental services, including transportation, schools, and public safety; and

WHEREAS, the pristine beaches of the west coast of Florida require the maximum level of protection, and

WHEREAS, it is our belief that despite technological advances in oil drilling technology, there is no positive assurance that catastrophic damage to our coastline, beaches, plant and fish life could be avoided during normal operating conditions or during storm situations; and

WHEREAS, lifting the moratorium on mineral leasing in the Gulf of Mexico poses a threat to the beaches, waterways, economy of Florida, and national security:

THEREFORE, be it resolved, that the Board of Directors of the Urban Environment League of Greater Miami, oppose the approval of oil drilling in Florida’s waters in areas other than those already approved for oil leasing and oil exploration.

Resolution on FPL Power Lines on US1

Proposed 80' tall power lines along US1, image courtesy of FPL.

TITLE
A Resolution of the Urban Environmental League in opposition to FP&L‘s proposal to utilize above ground transmission lines for power produced at the expanded Turkey Point Nuclear plant.

BODY
WHEREAS: FPL is currently expanding its nuclear generator facility located at Turkey Point in south Miami Dade County and,

WHEREAS: the people of Miami Dade County will assume any environmental risk for this expansion for future generations and,

WHEREAS: all the rate payers of FPL’s system are absorbing the construction cost of this plant currently in their monthly bills and,

WHEREAS: the increase in capacity from the plant expansion far exceeds the future needs of Miami Dade County and therefore will make available substantial power to be sold to FPL’s customers outside Miami Dade County and throughout the power grid of the entire United States and,

WHEREAS: FPL has taken the position that these transmission lines are only feasible above ground and located along US1 through the unincorporated area, the Village of Pinecrest, South Miami, Cutler Bay, Coral Gables and Palmetto Bay and,

WHEREAS: the cost of said line being placed below ground is alleged to be $18 million per mile which is a larger amount than the cost of above ground placement and,

WHEREAS: FPL has shown no credible proof of this cost differential and,

WHEREAS: FPL has stated that the required cost for the line to be placed below ground must be paid by either rate payers of Miami Dade County and/or the impacted municipalities regardless of the fact that the power transmitted will be sold through FPL’s entire system and outside that system, and,

WHEREAS: all the impacted communities have committed to make the areas along US1 livable public spaces and have adopted various plans and other actions to achieve this goal and the installation of above ground lines will be disastrous to these investments

Now, therefore it is resolved that,

1) the Urban Environmental League opposes the above ground lines on the basis of equity to the rate payers of Miami Dade County and requests the Public Service Commission and the Cabinet to address the equity issue and requests the true cost of underground to be borne by all the users of the power

2) requests the Miami Dade Board of County Commissioners with the impacted municipalities to join in opposition to the above ground transmission lines including litigation if necessary and,

3) requests the Board of County Commissioners to investigate the possibility of building its own underground transmission line and charging FPL a fee for its use which covers the capital and operational cost with a rate of return equal each year to the rate of return allowed to FPL by the Public Service Commission with any surplus revenues generated by the County Commission to be used for under grounding power lines throughout Miami Dade County.