5/7/2025
Apalachicola Riverkeeper is thrilled to announce incredible news: the “Kill the Drill” bill Apalachicola Riverkeeper helped spearhead passed both chambers of the Florida Legislature with overwhelming support and is now headed to the Governor’s desk! This marks a huge milestone in the fight to protect the Apalachicola River and Bay from oil and gas drilling.
But that’s not all.
In another major win, after months of work and expert testimony, Apalachicola Riverkeeper’s legal challenge was validated, and a Florida Administrative Law Judge issued a powerful Recommended Order that Florida DEP should deny the exploratory oil drilling permit in the Apalachicola River floodplain sought by the Louisiana-based company Clearwater Land and Minerals! This is another critical step Riverkeeper has taken in stopping harmful drilling projects before they begin.
These victories are thanks to YOU, our Apalachicola Riverkeeper community—the fishermen, oyster farmers, small business owners, conservationists, and thousands of community members who raised your voices, planted signs, and stood strong together for your river and bay. There are over 700 individuals, 125 businesses, 28 organizations, and more than 1,000 homes with Kill the Drill signs—this victory is yours, ours.
We would also like to give a special thanks to Representative Jason Shoaf and Senator Corey Simon for listening to their constituents and sponsoring this critical legislation.
These major, back-to-back successes prove all we can achieve together.
But the court’s ruling still awaits a final decision from Florida DEP. And new drilling applications could surface at any time. The Governor still needs to sign off on the legislation.
You can continue to fight for our river by donating today to directly support Apalachicola Riverkeeper’s preservation, restoration, and outreach projects.
Let’s celebrate this powerful moment—and keep the pressure on to finish the job and to Kill the Drill once and for all.
Together, for the River and Bay,
Cameron Baxley
Apalachicola Riverkeeper
Background on the Clearwater Land and Minerals drilling application