The Virginian-Pilot
©
RICHMOND
Virginia's Senate approved Monday a House bill that would dedicate potential profits from future offshore drilling to transportation needs.
The legislation from Del. Chris Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, withstood an attempt by Senate Democratic leaders to change it so a chunk of any royalties would go to the state's general fund.
Under Stolle's HB 756, 70 percent of drilling profits would go into a state transportation trust fund. The remaining funds would go to coastal energy research and to localities for infrastructure needs.
The measure advanced on a 21-19 vote; three Senate Democrats voted alongside 18 Republicans.
Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, D-Fairfax, was behind the attempted maneuver to send any potential profits to the general fund. He said he remains skeptical that Virginia will see offshore royalties anytime soon.
"As for will we ever see a dime of royalties?" Saslaw said. "Maybe your great -great -great-grandchildren when they're on Social Security. But it's doubtful it will come before then."
Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, whose similar SB 601 was defeated on a 22-18 party line vote earlier this month, praised passage of the bill he called a "good vehicle" to advance Virginia's offshore ambitions.
Federal moratoria that prohibited offshore drilling have been lifted in recent years. However, it remains unclear whether federal officials will allow a scheduled 2011 lease sale for ocean floor parcels miles off the coast.
The concept behind both bills is supported by Gov. Bob McDonnell, who wants to use offshore drilling royalties to pay for state road needs.
The governor has lobbied federal officials to let the lease sale proceed.
"Virginia is ready to begin environmentally responsible offshore energy exploration and development," McDonnell said in a statement after Stolle's bill passed. "I applaud the Republicans and Democrats who voted for this common sense measure that positions the commonwealth to become the 'Energy Capital of the East Coast.' "
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
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this was a waste of tax
this was a waste of tax payers money.
A "Phantom" Promise
This action by the state senate makes about as much sense of harvesting moon dust. A classic case of counting chickens before they hatch. Only this time there aren't even any chickens.
What drilling? What drilling revenue?
We're years from offshore drilling, if indeed it ever happens at all. Even the Bush Administration admitted it would be a decade or more before offshore drilling operations began producing anything.
There are also no deals or agreements in place between the states and the federal government to assure coastal states that they will even get any of the proceeds. Coastal states may end up competing with each other to get little more than the opportunity to tax the land-based support systems for offshore drills.
imagination
Don't you think those greedy oil companies could hire the near idle local shipyards and their experienced marine welders to build the required oil/gas rigs?
Worthless
This Bill is worthless and merely provides the legislature and no-tax governor with another excuse not to fund highways and transportation infrastructure for the foreseeable future. So now McDonnell can falsely claim he is the "transportation" governor.
Tree huggers, NIMBYs and the weather forecast for hades
This is all smoke and mirrors, folks. Bobby McD and his Nopub henchmen know that drilling off the VA coast will happen never, no way, no how because the Navy strongly opposes it -- always has and always will -- because it will interfere with its ability to maneuver ships and fly high performance jet aircraft. Aircraft carriers are not designed to run a slalom course around offshore oil rigs and the main weapons training ranges for fighter aircraft are off the VA and NC coasts. This is all an act to placate the crowd that would rather we drive horses and buggies on dirt roads than do the sensible thing like raise the gasoline tax one cent a gallon.
Is that from experience?
Wonder how all those cruise ships maneuver around in the Gulf of Mexico? Wonder how our high performance fighter jet pilots can't see the beacon lights on drilling platforms? Makes a person wonder how the Naval Aviators are trained in Pensacola with those oil and gas rigs in the Gulf of Mexico? Makes a person wonder how the carriers and jets maneuveer around California?
We could raise the gas tax a penny (or a nickel or a dime or a dollar)each year instead of getting the Interior Department to get the hint and look at the studies and conferences that have already been placed on the record and open up for drilling NOW. Think of the way to employ the local shipyards that are near idle by having them make the oil/gas rigs. Those greedy oil companies can smell a profit and will make the drilling NOW happen as soon as the Interior Department moves forward.
There IS a difference here. And it's not actually the Navy.
Any structures that stand up in coastal waters obstruct coastal Homeland Security radar sweeps. The FAA, which oversees coastal radar, has a problem with anything of any size that stands up off the coast, whether that means 300' windmills or oil rigs.
A scattering of oil rigs could be a problem for the Navy operations. But it would probably be more of a cost and time issue than ability to operate. It's unlikely anything--windmill or oil rig--would be built in major shipping lanes.
The situation is also different from the Gulf of Mexico because that Gulf coast is not a straight line, as the East Coast is. It's possible to arrange radar installations on the lower Florida coast so that Gulf oil rigs don't obstruct them.
easily confused
It is easy to confuse the Navy with Homeland Security and the FAA.
It is a shame that Homeland Security and the FAA would not be able to mount radar on the platforms. The old idea of having lots of platforms was replaced when those drilling rigs that can reach angles other than straight down came into existence.
Don't forget that the Homeland Security and FAA operates in California where there are carriers (and all those other ships and submarines), high performance fighter jets, and drilling platforms.
Petro funds
Yes, after Bolling cast the deciding vote, he, the Governor, and the Leadership adjourned to the nearest pub to celebrate. After a boisterous celebration, Bolling went to the bar to settle up. Instead of cash, he offered petro dollars that he was sure would flow in a year or so. The proprietor kicked them all out and told them not to come back until they had the funds. Good lesson.
Actually to pay the tab he
Actually to pay the tab he used the funds saved from the arts. That money was actually better spent at the pub.