Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Town Council
From: Council Member Robert “BJ” Duncan, Seat 1
Date: January 20, 2021
Re: Urging the Bahamian government to revoke offshore oil drilling exploration licenses
and permanently ban offshore oil drilling activities in the Bahamas
REQUEST
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A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, URGING THE BAHAMIAN GOVERNMENT TO REVOKE OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING EXPLORATION LICENSES AND PERMANENTLY BAN OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING ACTIVITIES IN THE BAHAMAS; PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The Town of Cutler Bay (the “Town”) has a long history of environmental social responsibility and activism, as a community and as a municipal government. As a leader in the State of Florida (the “State”) for promoting environmental stewardship, the Town has adopted various Resolutions in efforts to protect the natural environment of the planet and of this community, and conserve natural resources by minimizing its impact on said environment and resources.
The Bahamas Petroleum Company (“BPC”) has been granted an offshore oil drilling exploration license by the Bahamian government that allows them to construct exploratory offshore oil drilling wells 150 miles off the coast of Florida. Exploratory and commercial drilling, extraction, and transportation of offshore oil and gas resources by BPC poses a significant risk of oil spills and chronic leakage that may adversely impact the Bahamas and coastal communities in the Caribbean and Florida. As one of the various coastal communities in South Florida, the Town is committed to environmental conscientiousness and leadership, finding that it is in the public interest, safety and welfare to reduce/ eliminate a possible devastation of marine habitats caused by offshore drilling oil spills originating in the Bahamas.
Seeing as this Resolution would have a direct and negative impact on the Atlantic, and, particularly, off the coast of the Town and Biscayne Bay, I believe it would be appropriate for the Town Council to express our support for this measure. I encourage the Town Council to approve this Resolution, continuing the Town’s commitment to environmental preservation.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Town Council adopt the attached Resolution, which urges the Bahamian government to revoke offshore oil drilling exploration licenses issued to the BPC, and to permanently ban all offshore oil drilling activities in the Bahamas. Furthermore, urging Miami-Dade County and the State to oppose such offshore oil drilling and work with the Bahamian government.