Gulf drilling plan advances in Senate

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

The Senate on Wednesday voiced strong support for opening a portion of Florida's coast to oil and gas drilling, despite warnings by environmentalists and some coastal lawmakers that it could unravel the 25-year-old ban on drilling off most of the nation's shores.

On a bipartisan 86-12 vote, lawmakers rejected an effort to halt debate on the measure, and the Senate is expected to give its final approval to sell oil and gas leases in the 8.3 million-acre swath of the eastern Gulf of Mexico by early next week.

California officials are concerned that the Senate bill -- which affects only Florida's coast -- will be merged with a House measure passed last month that would end the federal moratorium on offshore drilling and give states generous incentives to put oil rigs off their shores.

"We're nervous about it," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who opposed the Senate bill because it offers no new protections for California's coast. "If this thing comes out of conference committee and if the House doesn't take our bill, then we are looking at a big problem."

Some Senators want to increase the supply of oil.Some don't.