Vern Buchanan Looks to Stop Cuba from Drilling off Florida

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan introduced a bill on Friday that could have a deep impact in Florida as he looked to stop Cuba from launching oil rigs only 50 miles from the Sunshine States coast.

Cubas plan to drill for oil in its sovereign waters off the Florida Keys poses a serious threat to our tourism industry and our environment, said Buchanan, adding that Cuba was not prepared to deal with a spill like the one that impacted the Gulf last year.

The Buchanan measure would permit the U.S. secretary of the interior to deny drilling leases to companies involved with countries facing trade sanctions. Buchanan specifically noted that Repsol, a Spanish corporation, has an agreement in place with Cuba to drill off the Florida coast.