Bill Nelson: “again, I tell the Senator that we already know what is out there. In fact, the MMS does an inventory every 5 years. Here…”

“again, I tell the Senator that we already know what is out there. In fact, the MMS does an inventory every 5 years. Here is the latest one. This is a 2003 update. The new one will come out this summer, in 2005. So we are not doing an inventory here as it is explained. What we are doing under this bill is doing something new. We are doing seismic explosions that could cost the Federal Government, in all of the Outer Continental Shelf, up to a billion dollars. Seismic explosions. These air guns shoot air pressure all the way to the surface of the ocean floor. Now, that is what we are trying to stop. Since we know what is there--and they drilled several dry holes in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, off Florida. We know there is not any oil and gas there. They want to do a new type of exploration. Yet this is in a moratorium. So if it is in a moratorium until the year 2012, why are we going to allow, under this bill, going out and doing seismic explosions in the Outer Continental Shelf all around the United States? It makes no sense. What it is is the first step to drilling. It is the proverbial camel's nose under the tent. Once he gets his nose under the tent, the camel is going to get in the tent, the tent is going to collapse, and there is going to be drilling all off the coast of Florida, all off the eastern seaboard and all off the western Pacific coastline. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida, Mr. Martinez, is recognized.”