Environmentalists up in arms over proposal to allow oil and gas drilling off Florida coasts James Call
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A Texas company has received permission to drill deep into the North Florida aquifer for oil and natural gas, pitting environmentalists against local officials who see the drilling as a potential boon for an economically impoverished region.
The Department of Environmental Protection issued final permits this week to allow Cholla Petroleum of Dallas to drill six exploratory wells in the Apalachicola River floodplain in rural Calhoun County. 
“Apalachicola Riverkeeper remains strongly opposed to these exploratory oil & gas wells as they pose significant ecological risk to the region,” said Georgia Ackerman, executive director of Apalachicola Riverkeeper. “We will continue to monitor the permit activities and address concerns with local and state officials.”
The group is worried the drilling will affect the region’s drinking water and fragile habitat. "The risk of damage to water quality, biologic and geologic integrity of the ecosystem from oil drilling far exceeds any benefits that a small number of property owners and an oil company will gain," Ackerman said previously. 
While environmental groups have asked the DEP to deny the permits, the Calhoun County Commission has expressed support for the project as it’s gone through the approval pipeline.
The commission submitted a letter of support for Cholla to DEP, even changing its comprehensive plan to allow for it two years ago when another company first sought to drill. Calhoun County Vice Chairman Gene Bailey told WFSU that after all the timber losses due to Hurricane Michael, “this would be a revenue source to assist the people of the county and might lead to more jobs and all. So, basically, it’s a money item.”
There are Blountstown and Calhoun County residents who oppose this drilling, Ackerman said, regardless of the County Commission’s expressed position.
“We’ve attended various legislative meetings and commission meetings over the past year,” she said. “There are concerned Calhoun residents steadfastly saying, ‘Oil drilling doesn’t belong here’.”
Back story: 
Cholla applied for permission two months prior to Hurricane Michael to sink six exploratory wells between 13,600 feet and 14,200 feet between Dead Lakes and the Apalachicola River in Calhoun County – about 15 miles south of Blountstown.
The exploratory drilling would punch into the Floridan aquifer, which environmentalists said could put the water supply for the Panhandle at risk of contamination. The permits do not authorize hydraulic fracking or commercial production, said DEP spokeswoman Dee Ann Miller. 
They also don’t guarantee a path to commercial production, she said. Such activities would require a separate process providing additional data, a spill prevention and cleanup plan and other information for DEP to review.
Like all permit applications, Cholla's was reviewed by agency staff to ensure that the exploratory drilling operation follows state law and has safeguards in place to protect the environment, human health and safety, drinking water and underground natural resources, Miller said.
“Under current Florida law DEP had no grounds to deny the Cholla permit,” Miller said. “This initial permit is for exploratory purposes only. Issuance of this permit does not guarantee that future permits or modifications will be granted by the Department.”
Contact Schweers at jschweers@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffschweers.