Transcript Gulf Oil Spill - The Things That Matter Now

Gulf Oil Spill
The Things That Matter Now
Economic Forum Title Rejects
• The Gulf Oil Spill & Possible Impacts on Florida’s East
Coast
• The Gulf Oil Spill & Hayward Shipped Back to England
• Oil Enters the Loop Current & Possible Destruction of
Florida’s East Coast
• The Well is Capped – Florida’s East Coast Spared
And Yesterday:
• Hayward Shipped to Siberia
• Will Mississippi’s Bob Dudley Do Right?
Confusing Messages in the Media:
What tourists woke up to today
The Things That Matter Now
• Economic Top Kill and
the State’s Publicized
Damages Claim/Lawsuit
• Microbial 101
• Water Quality Issues:
– Perceived v. Actual
– Independent v. Third
Party Analysis
Edward B. Overton
Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, LSU
• Ph.D., University of Alabama,
1970
• B.S., University of Alabama, 1965
• Professor Emeritus, Department of
Environmental Sciences,
Louisiana State University
• Claiborne Gasoline Company,
Chair in Air Quality/Environmental
Toxicology
• Adjunct Professor, Department of
Chemistry, LSU
• Chairman of the Board, Analytical
Specialists Inc.
“Chips” Taylor Kirschenfeld
Senior Scientist, Escambia County
Water Quality & Land Mgt. Division
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ph.D. Marine Biology
M.S. Coastal Biology, University of
West Florida
B.S. Chemistry and Biology, University
of Alabama
Manager, Northwest Florida
Ecosystem Restoration, FDEP
Adjunct Professor of Environmental
Law and Coastal and Marine
Environments, University of West
Florida
Chairman, Bay Area Res. Council
Member, City of Pensacola
Environmental Advisory Board
Board Member of the Emerald
Coastkeeper and the Choctawhatchee
Basin Alliance
Basic Facts Now:
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
• Oil was released into the Gulf of Mexico for approximately 83
days.
• The most recently released oil currently afloat in the Gulf of
Mexico is 16 days old.
• It is estimated that approximately 40,000 barrels per day of oil
(along with a quantity of chemical dispersants) were released
prior to the well being capped on July 12, 2010.
• That equates to approximately 182 Million gallons of oil
released into the Gulf of Mexico.
• In comparison, the Valdez oil spill released approximately
10.8 Million gallons of oil.
Economic Top Kill of
Local Governments
Federal Government “Push-Down” of disaster response, services and
programs to the states without timely or adequate funding
State of Florida “Push-Down” of disaster response, services and
programs to local governments without timely or adequate funding
The Recession and mortgage crisis pressured municipal credit
markets, tourism, and property tax revenues
The Gulf Oil Spill: Florida coastal communities burdened with
economic responsibilities of preparation, response and the loss of
tourism related revenues
Economic Top Kill
• "The largest economic impact
of the oil spill will be at the
local level.... Louisiana and
Florida are likely to be hardest
hit because of Louisiana's
heavy dependence on fishing,
aquaculture and oil extraction,
and Florida's heavy
dependence on tourism.”
Moody's Analytics, July 20, 2010
Current Relief Activities Underway
at the State
• The Governor’s Executive Order
dated July 21, 2010 authorizing
property appraisers to provide
interim assessments of affected
properties.
• Florida Senate Select Committee on
Florida’s Economy and the House’s
Deepwater Horizon Response and
Recovery Workgroups.
• The publicized claim/lawsuit by the
State of Florida.
Current Relief Activities Underway at
the State: Executive Order 10-169
• Signed July 21, 2010
• Legal significance unknown
• “[a]ll property appraisers in
the affected counties are
authorized to provide interim
assessments… in the affected
counties… according to its just
value on any date after the oil
spill affected the respective
county during 2010…”
Current Relief Activities Underway at
the State: Senate Select Committee
on Florida’s Economy
● Memo from Senator Gaetz dated July 6, 2010 to the
Senate Committee Stated:
“Preliminary issues raised:
Effect of Oil Catastrophe on Property Value
● Residential / Commercial
● Property tax relief for affected residents and
businesses
Loss of Income for Florida residents and businesses
● Review of Eligibility Criteria for state, individual and
business assistance programs
● Claims paying process
● Emergency loan and grant process.”
Current Relief Activities Underway at
the State: House Deepwater Horizon
Response and Recovery Workgroups
Lead Coordinator: Representative Gary Aubuchon dated July 20, 2010
Key Dates: Work group plans due to the Speaker on July 27, 2010
Work group reports due to the Speaker on August 31, 2010
Current Relief Activities Underway at the
State: Publicized Claim/Lawsuit by the
State of Florida
• Attorney Steve Yerrid selected by
the Governor as special counsel for
the oil spill. Quoted on 6-28-2010 in
The Wall Street Journal:
• “Florida intends to seek payments
from BP to cover lost tax revenues,
unemployed workers and other
damages to the state’s coastal
economy.”
• Yerrid did not rule out other forms
of relief including “a very large
reparations request.”
Following the Money of a State
Recovery from its Claim/Lawsuit
• Time and time again local governments have been
the first responders and financiers of the response
effort.
• Local beaches, waterways and natural resources
are the drivers of local tourism dollars.
• In the event of a state recovery - in particular for
natural resource damages - a portion of that
recovery should flow down to the local
communities responsible for those natural
resources.
• Local governments may need to intervene in legal
action brought by the State.
• Those funds -in particular recovery natural
resource damages - should not be consumed for
general fund purposes by the State.
John L. Fiveash
Lewis, Longman & Walker, P.A.
2600 Centennial Place
Suite 100
Tallahassee, FL 32308-0572
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (850) 222-5702
Edward B. Overton,
Louisiana State University
1265 Energy, Coast and Environment Building
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (225) 578-8634
“Chips” Taylor Kirschenfeld
Escambia County
221 Palafox Place, Suite 210
Pensacola, Florida 32501
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (850) 501-1077