Apalachicola River

The measure bans drilling, exploration or production of oil and gas reserves around marine estuaries.

Uthmeier says he'll refer the matter to Florida's DOGE to see if there's been financial mismanagement

The bill on his desk would ban oil drilling within 10 miles of the Apalachicola River Basin

DeSantis has 15 days to act on what's known as the "Kill the Drill" bill.

The measure passed Legislature unanimously but has not yet reached the governor's desk.

The judge wrote that a spill "would have catastrophic consequences due to the proximity of the well to nearby streams, wetlands and ponds.”

The policy dispute follows loud opposition to a proposed oil drilling project in the Apalachicola Basin. Opponents worry the project could hurt the environment as well as the economy.

Their bills would put rules in place for oil companies that drill for oil and gas near vulnerable bodies of water.

“The people of the Gulf Coast know what can happen when you have accidents with oil.”

The citizen group Apalachicola Riverkeeper has challenged the Department of Environmental Protection to prevent drilling in the floodplain.

As major dams are taken down in other parts of the country, Florida holds tight to its dams and reservoirs, some aging and putting nearby residents and homes at risk.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has OK'd a draft permit in Calhoun County. But Apalachicola Riverkeeper, a citizens group, contends there is a 100% failure rate of wells drilled there.