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Statement By FRLA President And CEO On Oil Rig Explosion

FRLA’s Carol Dover Addresses Louisiana Oil Rig Explosion.

Carol Dover states “The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is working closely with Florida Governor Charlie Crist’s office and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to provide our hoteliers and restaurateurs the latest information regarding the April 23, 2010 oil rig explosion off the coast of Louisiana.

“Governor Charlie Crist and Florida DEP Secretary Mike Sole toured the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday to see firsthand the damage done by the oil leak. Crist immediately contacted Florida National Guard Major General Douglas Burnett and emergency management director David Halstead and asked them to work with Sole and the United States Coast Guard to make a plan to protect Florida’s beaches should the oil be pushed by wind and waves toward the Panhandle.

“We ask FRLA members to please check our website at www.FRLA.org for additional updates.

“FRLA strongly encourages those who are in the process of formalizing their travel plans, or who have already made vacation plans to the Sunshine State, to please continue with those plans. Florida is open for business and we welcome tourists to our 1,800 miles of coastline and 1,200 miles of sandy beaches.

“The recent oil rig explosion is a tragedy in terms of both the loss of human life, and to the threat to our environment – and is precisely the reason our elected officials should take a cautious and measured approach when it comes to the issue of oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.

“We ask members of our Association who oppose this issue to contact their local Senator and Representative over the next few days to let them know we will not support any measure that would be detrimental to Florida’s tourism and hospitality industry.”

For additional updates, please go to the following offices and agencies for information:

Florida Office of the Governor http://www.flgov.com
Florida Department of Environmental Protection http://www.dep.state.fl.us
Florida Division of Emergency Management http://www.floridadisaster.org/index.asp
Florida Department of Military Affairs http://dma.myflorida.com
United States Coast Guard http://www.uscg.mil