Posted: April 30, 2010 - 11:58pm
By Steve Patterson
FERNANDINA BEACH - As sheens of spilled oil drifted in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Friday that President Barack Obama should drop plans for expanded oil exploration off Florida's coast.
"I've said to the White House, 'Don't you dare think about your five-year plans [for offshore oil leases] ... We're just not going to let you,' " the Florida Democrat said hours after visiting Pensacola and checking preparations for a potential oil landfall.
Obama proposed expanded oil drilling in the Gulf and preparations for oil and gas exploration along the South Atlantic in March. The Interior Department has been collecting public comments on plans that would be implemented in five year-phases, holding a hearing in Jacksonville last month.
