Congresswoman Kathy Castor released the following statement today regarding President Obama’s announcement to extend the moratorium on permits to drill new deepwater wells:

“For all intents and purposes, bringing rigs closer to Florida’s beaches appears to be dead. The Deepwater Horizon disaster has confirmed my position that domestic drilling is too risky a proposition for our economy and our environment. Our jobs, our tourism economy and our fishing economy are too important to leave to an industry that has cut corners and does not have the ability to respond to a disaster like BP’s Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. BP must be held fully accountable, and I am devoting my time and energy to make sure that happens.

“I continue to lead the charge to ensure Florida is protected from oil drilling off of our coast. Yesterday, I expressed my continued concern over offshore drilling and BP’s oil disaster directly to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. I urged him to take the 125-mile buffer off the table because drilling that close to Florida’s shores would be disastrous. I am also pressing BP officials on a regular basis to take full responsibility for the horrendous disaster.

“Today we have learned that the Deepwater Horizon disaster is even worse than the devastating Exxon Valdez catastrophe. There should be no doubt, then, that the moratorium needs to be permanent, and that is why last week I filed the Florida Coastal Protection Act, which would permanently prohibit oil drilling, leasing, preleasing and any related activities off the Gulf coast and the Straits of Florida. The current buffer 235 miles off of Tampa Bay is effective only through 2022.

“We don’t need any more studies. What we need is a commitment to protect our shores, our environment, our jobs, our tourism industry and our businesses from disaster caused by oil drilling.”