TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — An oil drilling permit application has been denied. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has denied the permit for Clearwater Land and Minerals to explore oil drilling in the floodplain of the Apalachicola River.
This comes following legal action by the Apalachicola Riverkeeper. The group focuses on protecting the Apalachicola River.
The drilling would have occurred in Calhoun County, the same location where an approved permit was issued to Cholla Petroleum in 2019. That company’s drilling plans were not completed.
According to documents, experts testified there was only a 30% likelihood of striking oil.
The order found the area where Clearwater wanted to drill “sensitive” based on
its location to the "Apalachicola River basin, the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, and habitat for several federal and state-listed species."
The Apalachicola Riverkeeper considers this a turning point. The so-called ‘Kill the Drill’ bill is awaiting a signature or veto from Governor Ron DeSantis. The proposal is aimed at stopping oil and gas drilling near Apalachicola Bay and upstream.
