President Barack ObamaJune 2,2010
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C.20500
Dear President Obama:
We, the undersigned governments, organizations, and businessesof the Florida Keys respectively request that you publicly reconsider any plans for future leasing and drilling for oil and gas off Florida in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic until the cause and effects of this ongoing oil spill tragedy in the north central Gulf is known and resolved.
The recent Transocean drilling incident aboard the Deepwater Horizon off Louisiana, and resultant 200,000 to nearly one million gallons per day oil spill that is now threatening sensitive shorelines and coastal economies along the entire northern Gulf region, including the Florida Keys, is cause for such action. All spills in the Gulf of Mexico must exit through the Straits of Florida and our Florida Keys.
Completed in 2001, the Deepwater Horizon rig operated by BP Oil represented the cutting edge of drilling technology that is currently touted as “safe and reliable” for expanding offshore drilling in the deep waters of the Gulf and South Atlantic. This spill clearly demonstrates that these technical “safe guards” are not reliable nor safe enough to protect our sensitive marine and coastal resources and the many jobs and economies they support. Although you have indicated your willingness to halt drilling, it does not make sense to allow further leasing in these areas to proceed.
Please show the people of Florida, the Gulf coast and the entire United States that you do care and that some areas of our country are too environmentally sensitive and the economic consequences are too great for these extremely dangerous and risky activities to be seriously considered.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
REEF RELIEFState Representative Ron Saunders (District120)
Monroe Board of CountyCommissionersCity of Key West
City of LaytonFlorida Keys Aqueduct Authority
Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Assoc.Island of Key Largo Homeowners Assoc. Inc.
Key West Coffee CompanyKey West Water Sports Inc.
Key West WoodworksKey West Innkeepers Association
Palm BeachCountySchool District, Society for the Conservation
JupiterMiddle School of Technologyand Study of Caribbean Birds
Island Breeze Developers Inc.FloridaSuperior Small Lodging Association
Full Sails Travel, LLCHarmony at Home
Island Breeze Developers Inc.Laak and Son Inc.
Mer-Maids Boat DetailingThe Ocean Foundation
Paradise Bounce Inc.Coastal Living LLC.
AtlanticCoastLand Trust LLC.T. W. Walter Anesthesia Services Inc.
Alexander Alkalay TrustFootprints
Marathon, FlKey West, Fl
Metro Cabinet CompanyProgress Florida
Sarasota, FlSt.Petersburg, Fl
Anchor Real Estate & Mortgage Inc.AndrewsInn & Garden Cottages
Merritt Island, FlKey West, Fl
Berry Joe Payne Surveyor Inc.Blue Sky Computer Repair, LLC
Edgewater, FlKey West, Fl
Bonsai DivingCannon Mobile Marine Repair Inc.
Key West, FlBig Pine Key, Fl
Captain Pip’s Inc.Casa 325
Marathon, FlKey West, Fl
Coastal Living, LLCCoastal Sailing Adventures Inc.
Estero, FlLittle Torch Key, Florida
Coastal Wildlife Club Inc.Coldwell Banker Schmitt
Englewood, FlMarathon, Fl
Commodore Porter ApartmentsCrossroads Internet Cafe
Key West, FlKey West, Fl
Cypress HouseCyriacks Environmental Consulting Services Inc.
Key West, FlDeerfield Beach, Fl
Deer Run Bed & BreakfastDoug Mayberry Real Estate
Big Pine Key, FlKey West, Fl
Keys Chiropractic Health CenterDragonfly Import Company
Key West, FlKey West, Fl
ECO-ActionFabric Gallery Inc.
Orlando, FlMerritt Island, Fl
Flamingo’s CaféFury Water Adventures
Key West, FlKey West, Fl
GLEECommunityGardensIsland Marketing and Distribution
Key West, FlKey West, Fl
Islands DJ ServiceKeys Diver and SnorkelCenter
Key West, FlKey Largo, Fl
La Mer Hotal and Dewey HouseLittle PalmIsland Resort & Spa
Key West, FlLittle Torch Key, Fl
Local ColorLorraine Garrett Inc.
Key West, FlKey West, Fl
Lynne Hankins Fielder, P.A.Macro Algae Research Lab
Summerland Key, FlMiami, Fl
Metro Cabinet CompanyMichael McCloud Inc.
Sarasota, FlKey West, Fl
Natacha’s BoutiqueNovus Ocean Investments, LLC
Islamorada, FlMiramar, Fl
Paradise InnPercentage Tennis
Key West, FlSt.Petersburg, Fl
Prudential Knight & Gardner RealtyRoof Top Cafe
Key West, FlKey West, Fl
Lost Reef AdventuresSebago Water Sports
Key West, FlKey West, Fl
Sunny Days CatamaransSLM Enterprises Inc.
Key West, FlGainesville, Fl
Southernmost Beach CaféSouthernmost Hotel
Key West, FlKey West, Fl
Southernmost on the Beach HotelSouthernmost Realty
Key West, FlKey West, Fl
Strongbox3D AnimationsSumeru Accounting & Bookkeeping
KeyColonyBeach, FlKey West, Fl
Sunset GlassblowerSunshine Title
Key West, FlKey Largo, Fl
T.R.A.S.H.E.D. In The KeysTerrall Sletten General Contracting Inc.
Key West, FlFortMeyers, Fl
The Banyan ResortThe Nature of Wellness
Key West, FlFortMeyers, Fl
The UPS Store #1819Usrententall, LLC
Lutz, FlKey West, Fl
Sanctuary Advisory Council to the South Street Automotive
Florida Keys National Marine SanctuaryKey West, Fl
Key Largo, Fl