Bill Nelson: “I gladly do so because of the stakes that are in this for the State of Florida. I would like to point out that according…”

“I gladly do so because of the stakes that are in this for the State of Florida. I would like to point out that according to the statistics compiled by the Department of Interior, during the period between 1980 and 1999--almost two decades--some 3 million gallons of oil was spilled from Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas operations in 73 incidents. In addition, in one incident in April of this year, more than 90,000 gallons of saltwater and crude oil spilled out of a pipeline in Alaska's North Slope, becoming the fourth major incident there. I point out the Department of Interior statistics simply to counter the perception that all of the Senators who have spoken in opposition to this amendment, of invading the eastern Gulf by drilling in an area which heretofore has been off limits to drilling, come from an oil-producing State. But when they give the impression that, in fact, offshore oil drilling is so safe, that there is no risk, and say instead the risk is in tankers, indeed, we know the risk in tankers because we saw what happened with the Exxon Valdez.”