Report: No Chinese Drilling Off Florida's Coast: Republicans Promoting Unfounded Myth to Push Drill-Drill-Drill Philosophy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081
Report: No Chinese Drilling Off Florida’s Coast
Republicans Promoting Unfounded Myth to Push Drill-Drill-Drill Philosophy
WASHINGTON (June 12, 2008) – How are Republicans pushing their drill-drill-drill policy this week? By scaring up the ghosts of communism and xenophobia, perpetuating a myth that China is drilling off the coast of Florida.A Congressional Research Service report from February of this year, however, disproves that myth, saying there is no offshore drilling partnership between Cuba and China, and any drilling has been focused on land in Cuba, not off Florida’s beaches.
“By perpetuating this myth, the Republicans and their friends in Big Oil are acting as the modern day masters of deception,” said Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. “It’s not the Chinese who are looking to drill off Florida’s beaches, it’s the Republicans and Big Oil.”
The CRS report notes that “while there has been some concern about China’s potential involvement in offshore deepwater oil projects, to date its involvement in Cuba’s oil sector has been focused on onshore oil extraction in Pinar del Rio province [in Cuba] through its state-run China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation.”
Rep. Markey, along with Reps. Nick Rahall (D-W.V.), Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) and others announced pieces of legislation today that would force the oil companies to drill on the 68 million acres of land and sea they already own, an area equivalent to Georgia and Illinois combined. The acreage could produce 4.8 million barrels of oil a day, nearly twice America’s current domestic production.
“Big Oil could drill in millions of acres today, without Congress even lifting a finger,” said Markey. “This is yet another drilling decoy proffered by the Republicans and their friends in the oil and gas industry.”
The CRS report is available on the web at http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33819.pdf and the specific passage cited above is on page 30.
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PLEASE NOTE: The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming was created to explore American clean energy solutions that end our reliance on foreign oil and reduce carbon pollution.
The Select Committee was active during the 110th and 111th Congresses. This is an archived version of the website, to ensure that the public has ongoing access to the Select Committee record. This website, including external links, will not be updated after Jan. 3rd, 2010.
The Select Committee was active during the 110th and 111th Congresses. This is an archived version of the website, to ensure that the public has ongoing access to the Select Committee record. This website, including external links, will not be updated after Jan. 3rd, 2010.
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