Buchanan proposes permit freeze

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, will introduce a law that would halt deepwater drilling permitting until the cause of the Deepwater Horizon explosion is identified.

“It is shocking and unacceptable that federal officials are still granting permits, even in the aftermath of this disaster,” Buchanan said in a press release. “We need to stop issuing permits, new or otherwise, and focus on plugging the hole and cleaning up this environmental catastrophe.”

Buchanan's proposal goes beyond President Obama's recent call to halt permitting by also preventing the issue of new permits to existing deepwater drilling operations.

Buchanan has consistently opposed any expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling nearer Florida's waters, but now he wants to take it further with a complete freeze.