Jeb Bush asks White House to stop oil lease sale

Florida Gov Jeb Bush

From Kelly Wallace
CNN Washington Bureau

NEW BRITAIN, Connecticut (CNN) -- Three days after his brother became president, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush appealed to the Bush administration to cancel a planned auction of offshore oil and gas leases in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, according to a spokeswoman for the governor.

Jeb Bush, who made the same appeal to the Clinton administration, sent the acting interior secretary a letter January 23 and then followed up with a face-to-face meeting with Interior Secretary Gale Norton in February, Katie Bauer, the governor's communications director, told CNN.

The governor, who was in Washington for a National Governor's Association meeting at the time, told Norton he opposed off-shore oil and gas drilling off the coast of Florida, Bauer said.

"We will and have always opposed any offshore oil and gas drilling," said Bauer.

By contrast, President Bush has talked repeatedly of the need for more domestic drilling, although he has not outlined any specific plans for the Florida coast.

Bauer said to her knowledge this matter has not been discussed between the governor and the president.

Norton, in a letter obtained by CNN and dated April 9, told the younger Bush the matter is still under review, and that a final decision will be made in October.

"I share your commitment to protect the environment of Florida's coastline as well as the entire eastern Gulf of Mexico," wrote Norton in the letter. "At the same time, I must consider our nation's energy needs and appropriate management of the American public's natural resources."

Norton said before making its decision, the administration would publish a final environmental impact study of the proposed auction by June and then would post notices of the actual acreage that would be up for sale.

"Completing the analysis and consultation process will help us make an informed and balanced decision" on the proposed sale, Norton wrote the governor. "I will balance the potential for adverse impacts on the environment, the effects of the sale on the coastal zone, the potential contribution of the oil and gas resources to the nation's energy supply, and the comments of governors of affected states regarding the size, timing and location of the sale."

In a handwritten note, Norton said the governor should "feel free to call... as questions arise."

"This is not a done deal yet, no final decision has been made," said A.B. Wade, an Interior Department spokeswoman.

Scott McClellan, White House deputy press secretary, sought to downplay the matter, saying the issue is "going through the standard review."

Bauer said the governor would continue to try to prevent the administration from going forward with the offshore drilling since the matter is not "a fait accompli."

The Bush administration's environmental policies have come under fire recently. Andrea Durbin, a Greenpeace spokeswoman, said the president's actions, such as not supporting the global warming treaty and not regulating carbon dioxide emissions, are wiping away "years of environmental progress."

However, over the past few days, the administration has announced it is upholding three of four regulations implemented in the waning days of the Clinton administration, such as requiring more businesses to report the amount of lead they are emitting into the environment and protecting wetlands from development.

Senior administration officials conceded to CNN Tuesday that the White House could have done a better job over the past several weeks offsetting decisions which environmentalists might criticize with decisions that are viewed as environmentally friendly.

Bush to leave Clinton lead standards in place (April 17, 2001)
Greenpeace activists arrested near Bush ranch (April 13, 2001)
Energy secretary backs domestic drilling (April 1, 2001)

Myflorida.com: Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
U.S. Department of Energy

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