The oil and gas drilling permits issued to Cholla Petroleum by Florida Department of Environmental Protection have expired with no drilling activities occurring.
The Apalachicola Riverkeeper, which opposed the permits, said it is improbable that new permits will be sought as that would require restarting the entire application process.
Cholla Petroleum of Dallas, Texas was awarded permits for oil and gas wells in the Apalachicola River floodplain of Calhoun County.
The Apalachicola River basin includes Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Liberty, Jackson, and part of Gulf counties.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued the permits in December of 2019.
The wells were to be drilled between the Dead Lakes, Chipola River and the Apalachicola River.
The company proposed to drill nearly 13 thousand feet down, going through the Floridan aquifer, the source of drinking water for much of Florida.
The permits were opposed by a number of groups downstream of the drilling including the City of Apalachicola who cited concerns over pollution, and the impact the wells could have on the fishing and tourism industries.
The Apalachicola Riverkeeper also opposed the drilling, citing the significant ecological and economic risks this would bring to the region, including downstream communities.
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