Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law Thursday evening to ban oil drilling along the Apalachicola River in northwest Florida, delivering a win for both environmentalists and fishermen who said the ban was essential to protect their way of life.

This spring, state lawmakers of both parties overwhelmingly approved House Bill 1143. The Florida Panhandle town of Apalachicola is synonymous with the state’s oyster industry and fishing supports much of the local economy.

Up until the stroke of his pen, it was unclear whether DeSantis supported it. Last week, hundreds of people rallied in Apalachicola urging the governor to sign it.

“It really shows that there’s power when folks come together,” said Gil Damon, director of the nonprofit Downriver Project, which fights pollution in what is known as Florida’s “Forgotten Coast.” “We’ve had fishermen and hunters and oyster farmers and seafood workers — really the entire community — just working on this for the last year. … We brought down Goliath.”

A Louisiana company called Clearwater Land & Minerals Fla. had asked the state for a permit to drill an exploratory well deep into the earth near the Apalachicola River, which the state denied.

But the new law ensures no similar applications will threaten the area again. It prohibits companies from searching for oil and gas within 10 miles of the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, a roughly 234,000-acre area.

The measure also requires the state, when considering future oil permits, to better evaluate how potential pollution from the extraction could affect nearby shorelines, wildlife and any potential costs for restoration, according to a House bill analysis.

“We applaud the governor for doing right by the river and bay and the many people who depend on this valuable resource for their livelihoods,” said Cameron Baxley with the Apalachicola Riverkeeper, a group that advocates for the area’s natural waterways. “The Apalachicola River and Bay are worth fighting for and something people of all political persuasions can rally behind.”

In recent weeks, residents of Apalachicola have been unable to bathe in or drink the water in their homes because Hurricane Helene damaged filtration equipment. Locals have been washing themselves in the river and drinking trucked-in water.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Thursday that state officials would investigate city leaders for their handling of the water crisis.

The city was informed Thursday of the investigation, Apalachicola City Manager Michael Brillhart told the Tampa Bay Times, adding that it plans to cooperate with the probe.

Brillhart said the city is working to obtain new parts to improve the smell and quality of Apalachicola’s water.

But the issue is also adding urgency to the need for DeSantis to sign this bill, some advocates said, because it revealed how fragile the town’s clean water supply already is, without the added stress of industrial pollution.

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

Times staff writer Michaela Mulligan contributed to this report. The Tampa Bay Times launched the Environment Hub in 2025 to focus on some of Florida‘s most urgent and enduring challenges. You can contribute through our journalism fund by clicking here.