Scott Harper
The Virginian-Pilot
©
The record oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is causing many Virginia lawmakers to rethink their position on a new state policy, signed into law just before the disaster began, that supports oil drilling off the Virginia coast.
Several legislators on both sides of the aisle say they would vote differently on the issue today, would support repealing the policy next year, or favor amending it when the General Assembly convenes in January.
"Knowing what I know today, I would have a hard time voting for it again," said state Sen. Harry B. Blevins, a Republican representing parts of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. "Seeing the devastation down there, I would think most people would feel that way."
Del. Lionell Spruill Sr., a Democrat from Chesapeake, says he will push for an outright repeal come January. He expects to have plenty of support, especially among Democrats, some of whom voted earlier this year in favor of drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf, at least 50 miles off the Virginia coast.
New drilling laws were among those analyzed in an annual legislative scorecard released Tuesday by the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. The report measured how state lawmakers voted during the 2010 legislative session on five key environmental issues, including two bills related to oil and gas production.
The league opposed both offshore bills and still hopes to persuade state and federal leaders to stop proposed drilling off Virginia.
"Accountability is especially important when the potential consequences are as high as they are with an issue like opening our vital and productive coastlines to offshore oil drilling," said Lisa Guthrie, executive director of the league, based in Richmond.
The bill that launched the new state drilling policy was sponsored by two Virginia Beach Republicans: Del. Ron Villanueva and Sen. Frank Wagner. It changed the previous state policy that supported only exploration for natural gas. The new policy endorses oil and gas "exploration, development and production 50 miles or more off the coast."
On Tuesday, Villaneuva said he still believes oil drilling is "part of Virginia's future, but we have to make sure what we're doing has the safeguards in place and the government oversight as well."
Like Villaneuva, longtime drilling champion Wagner now supports enhanced regulation of exploration for offshore energy resources. He also anticipates the mess in the Gulf will considerably delay development of an offshore industry in Virginia and could limit its financial viability.
"I want to know what happened and look people in the eye and say, 'It's not going to happen here because these are the steps we've taken to prevent it,' " Wagner said.
In the weeks after the April 20 explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig off Louisiana, the Obama administration has halted many drilling activities, including plans moving forward in Virginia.
The new Virginia drilling policy passed the House 70-27, then the Senate 32-8. Gov. Bob McDonnell approved the bill on April 13.
Scott Harper, (757) 446-2340, scott.harper@pilotonline.com
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Technology doesn't matter, nor does greed
No matter how technologically advanced oil wells are, there is still a chance of a spill. It doesn't matter if greed cuts the safety devices, or if they all remain in place, there will always be spills. On the average, with no special disasters to count in, there are 280,000 gallons of oil spilled into our oceans.
After Hurricane Katrina oil companies were quick to point out that no oil platforms were damaged. What they failed to mention was that despite the "no damage" 7 millions gallons of oil was spilled. This came from a lot of different sources, but it was still a spill - almost as much as the Valdez spill in Alaska.
The important thing to remember is that no matter how many safety devices we put in place, or how great the technology is, oil spills can still happen.
There is no technology tht will stop greed
It appears that it was not a technology failure that caused the gulf spill, it was greed. It was greed that spawned the no regulation mantra, it was greed, booth by emp0loyees of the MMS and BP that caused the lack of adherence to safe drilling practices. As long as greed is around, the possibility of an oil spill the magnitude of the gulf can happen here.
Greed? What do you think greed is?
Greed is an easy word to throw around because like "hope and change" it means whatever the person wants to believe but is different from the reality.
Is a person greedy to have a computer when others do not have one? Is a person greedy to live in a house when others live in an apartment? Is a person greedy for sending their kids to college when others don't even have kids that graduate high school? Is a person greedy when their kid in high school has a car while others ride the school bus?
What is your definition of greed, not a copy/paste but your definition?
talk about cut an paste
It is a typical Palin tactic to completely misconstrue a comment to cloud the issue. I dont know what your definition of greed is, but mine is that greed is when you put your own gain above ethics, rule, common practice or laws. This is what happaened in the gulf. BP put their greed for more profits above ethics, common practices, or laws. As long as people put their gain ahead of ethics, laws etc, these things will happen. As to your point about owning a computer, if you stole the computer, or got it by deception than that is greed and is wrong. Please try to stay on subject and not intentionally misconstrue the statement. Of course the right has never let ethics, or facts get in the way of their rants.
There was a movie about dodgeball
That move was a contortionist dream. The ball missed (the point) you by less than a millimeter. Patches O'Houlihan would have been proud. You did give your definition of "greed" - "when you put your own gain above ethics, rule, common practice or laws". But, your example of how the computer was obtained is really called theft.
Haven't found in the articles where the project manager on the drilling platform was going to get a bonus for finishing early, in fact there was no personal incentive mentioned for any of the platform crew. Haven't found the crew or the project manager would have been fired if the deadlines were not met or promoted if the deadline was beat. I am sure you would agree that greed must include the desire of reward to make the PERSON put their own gain above ethics, rule, common practice or laws. What your definition of greed misses to your comment is that you appeared to be talking about the company BP instead of the people that make up BP.
Companies don't have greed - people do.
Really?
"Companies don't have greed - people do."
This made me laugh. I guess we should be thankful then, that there aren't any of those pesky "people" involved in running companies.
We put a man on the Moon and brought him back safely
This is America and we can do anything that is great. Right now, all across the country there are engineers and non-engineers (those that want to be) figuring out how to the already redundant stops are even better.
No one can say that if BP had used the most expensive equipment and had paid the highest wages that this oil disaster would not have happened. We can only try harder and remember that this is America.
More Great Challenges
Let's end environmental damage and concentrate on America's Greatness - Agreed!
Let's bring up our worldwide rankings for:
literacy (46th- UN)
math(32nd- TIMMS)
science (7th - TIMMS)
longevity (49th - https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html), healthcare (37th - WHO)
BP profit:
$16.8 billion: 2009 profit for BP, which has been in the news lately because of the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. The 2009 profit was a drop from $21.7 billion in 2008.
$6.1 billion: First-quarter 2010 profit for BP, reported on April 27.
So, how can such a profitable company not think about or care about preventive measures? Oil spills are inevitable - waiting till they occur to think about how to solve them is unconscionable but oil companies will still profit. Maybe it's time they plow some of that profit into raising the ranking for the people who bear the penalty for BP's lack of forethought and prevention.
A crucual statement.
"No one can say that if BP had used the most expensive equipment and had paid the highest wages that this oil disaster would not have happened."
And since no one can say for sure whether this accident could have been prevented. And since no one can say for sure that this type of accident won't happen again. And since we still do not possess the knowledge and technology to stop another devastating spill if such an accident were to occur with another deep water oil rig.
Why would we take such an unecessary and potential devastating environmental risk to this great country and its citizens?
The miniscule amount of oil obtained through this type of drilling has no impact on fuel costs, no impact on independence from foreign oil, and is simply more oil going for sale on the open world market available to any nation, not necessarily the United States.
Way to go...
Villaneuva and Mcdonnell....Is this the change you promised? Count me out. How about next time doing a bit of research before you two make those potentially horrific decisions. Dollar signs aren't everything