Keep Offshore Drilling Away From Florida's Gulf Coast

Loretta Riquetti is one mom that oil companies shouldn’t try to mess with. She was drawn to Tampa Bay nearly 20 years ago by the natural beauty of the Sunshine State and like so many other Floridians, she built her family and lifestyle around vibrant coastal ecosystems and a pristine coast. Loretta is outraged that the Trump administration is taking aim at the warm, clear Gulf waters she and her children have come to know so well.

Riquetti has long been mindful about the importance of clean water and a healthy ocean, but until recently had mostly stayed on the sidelines. Then she learned of the radical offshore drilling plan President Trump proposed earlier this year. Left unchecked, it could bring offshore oil development to nearly all U.S. waters – including those near her town. The realization that everything she loves about living in Tampa Bay could be irreversibly altered spurred her into action and the fight to protect Florida’s coast.

Now there’s no turning back. After a career of teaching, she understands that nothing is more crucial than education. So that’s what she’s going to do – educate her community and decision makers on the downfalls of offshore drilling. She wants to convince everyone and anyone she meets about just what is at stake if drilling comes any closer to Florida’s shores. The ticking time bomb of another Deepwater Horizon-like disaster – one even nearer to Florida’s coast – is at the forefront of her mind. Local beaches and coastal ecosystems tainted with oil don’t bring in business for hardworking locals, and they certainly don’t bring tourists to town. People hesitate to buy seafood if it’s from waters contaminated with oil and the toxic chemicals used in spill cleanup. Florida’s idyllic paradise would be ruined if slicks were to begin to wash ashore and rigs mar the seascape.

What Riquetti truly fears from drilling coming to the Gulf Coast is the harm it would cause her family. Rigs moving in would mean her moving out – pushing her to leave the place she calls home. Because when it comes down to drilling, “it’s simply not worth risking my family’s health and our way of life,” Riquetti said. Environmental health is a reflection of the health of a community, and she remembers the devastation that followed BP’s disastrous spill. Thousands of oiled seabirds died, oil damaged nesting sites of endangered sea turtles, and dolphin populations struggled to reproduce. She doesn’t want that to be commonplace in her community too and knows that ensuring offshore drilling doesn’t get any closer to her coast is an important piece of the puzzle.

Riquetti is committed to educating as many folks as she can to prevent Florida from becoming an oil state. In her own words, “I’ve enjoyed Florida’s coast for years and it’s up to us to ensure the same will be true for all of our children. If offshore drilling becomes a reality for Florida, our children will live with the consequences.” She believes her children deserve to swim, fish and explore clean, oil-free waters. She’s fighting to make sure Florida’s coast stays that way for generations to come.