Firms Agree on Tankers in Florida Keys:...

Firms Agree on Tankers in Florida Keys: Fifteen of the nation’s largest oil companies have agreed to move their tanker traffic 10 miles away from the Florida Keys to protect fragile coral reefs from spills, Gov. Bob Martinez announced. Martinez also announced in Tallahassee that the U.S. Coast Guard has agreed to recommend that the International Maritime Organization formally declare an “avoidance” or buffer zone for the same area. The area extends from the Dry Tortugas through the Marquesas Keys and along the length of the Florida Keys to Biscayne National Park near Miami, and includes the only living coral reefs in the continental United States. Other member companies were Arco, Ashland, BP America, Chevron, Exxon, Inter-ocean, Keystone, Mobil, Phillips 66, Shell, Sun, Texaco, Trinidad and Union.