■ 14 September 2009 | 5:00 AM
Wrong on drilling
Gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell has erred in touting offshore drilling for oil and gas as a way to replenish state coffers. Federal law limits the sharing of oil and gas revenue to the Gulf states of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama. According to all reports, Congress is not likely to expand this program. In fact, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has rejected a proposal to expand the program.
So, even if one supports oil and gas drilling, it would be erroneous to do so on the grounds that the commonwealth would benefit from any of the revenue.
Despite McDonnell's public statements to the contrary, offshore oil and gas drilling in Virginia is not 'already set.' The U.S. Minerals Management Service has only just begun to review a potential lease sale in Virginia; thus no decision has been made.
The Southern Environmental Law Center opposes a potential lease sale in Virginia because the minuscule amount of oil and gas it would yield is simply not worth the enormous consequences that the drilling would have on commercial and sport fishing, coastal tourism and ocean life, including endangered whales and turtles. (Not to mention that the area in question overlaps with sensitive Department of Defense and NASA operations in the Atlantic.)
Rather, federal and state leaders should be focusing time and money on developing noncarbon based energy sources including the tremendous offshore wind potential that Virginia has.
Marirose Pratt
Charlottesville
COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Kidding right???
"not worth the enormous consequences that the drilling would have on commercial and sport fishing, coastal tourism and ocean life, including endangered whales and turtles. (Not to mention that the area in question overlaps with sensitive Department of Defense and NASA operations in the Atlantic.)"
You are kidding right? You say this and then claim that wind farms off of the coast would fit in just nicely? Uh, wind farms could be equally as damaging, if not more, are terribly inefficient, extremely costly for installation and maintenance and the DOD doesn't want them either due to the same reasons you cite for drilling.
SELC associate
Once again here we have another non-local SELC associate writing as a speculative subject-matter "expert", when in fact it is nothing but coattail-riding to the next litigous revenue source. How does the coastal environment look from the classroom, boardroom, courtroom and mountains of C-ville? The relative coastal "experience" from these folks involves website photo-ops, legislative spin and speculation.
Offshore exploration is safe, grounded in proven technology, and can and will enhance the safety, security and general enjoyment of the People. It can and should move forward now.
Even with no royalties to consider
The onshore infrastructure supporting offshore drilling is a huge addition to the tax base, along with the commerce associated with supply and the good jobs with good benefits provided to the citizens.
I worked on the offshore industry many years ago on a tug boat. Many of my co-workers were commercial fishermen who shared their fishing business with a friend or relative working opposite 7 on/7 off shifts, providing their families with good health insurance and other benefits they otherwise could not afford.
So, even with no royalties, offshore petroleum production would be a great boon to an economically stressed segment of our local population and an important addition to our tax base.
This letter ackowledges the...
obvious, that no matter HOW MUCH is determined to be available for producing, the opposition will do anything they have to to delay, impede, and/or sabotage the efforts. How DARE this country try to be truly energy efficient in anything except via these dubious 'alternative energy' means?
Marirose
Once again the NIMBY enviromentalist are heard from trying to do anythig to keep us dependant on foreighn oil. If these people would put as much time paying attention to how the President and Congress are trying to get socialism introduced in the USA then maybe this wouldn't be a problem. I am so sick and tired of hearing how we should not drill off our shores no matter which state it is because of Enviromental concerns, GROW UP PEOPLE we have NOT HAD AN oil spill from a drilling platform in more than 30yrs. WHY IS THAT maybe because we took steps and learned from the last on and vowed not to make the same mistake again, If we ever hope to end our dependance on foreighn oil the we must drill here off our own coast.