Obama Stands In the Way Of Bipartisan Support For Energy Exploration And Virginia Jobs _____________________________________________________________________ YESTERDAY, THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION EXCLUDED VIRGINA FROM NEW LEASES FOR OFFSHORE DRILLING Obama's Interior Department Excluded Virginia From New Leases To Be Opened For Offshore Energy Exploration. "The 15 scheduled potential lease sales contained in the plan will occur in six planning areas – the Western and Central Gulf of Mexico, the portion of the Eastern Gulf Of Mexico not currently under Congressional moratorium, and the Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea and Cook Inlet Planning Areas offshore Alaska." (Press Release, "Interior Finalizes Plan To Make All highest-Resource Areas In The U.S. Offshore Available For Oil And Gas Leasing," Department Of The Interior , 6/28/12) Obama Blocked Virginia From Offshore Drilling "Until At Least 2017." "The plan announced Thursday postpones drilling off Virginia's coast until at least 2017." (Anita Kumar, "Virginia Politicians Complain About exclusion In Offshore Drilling Pan," The Washington Post , 6/28/12) Offshore Drilling Off Virginia's Coast Would Create Approximately 1,900 Jobs, Add $365 Million Annually To The GDP, And Generate Nearly $20 Billion In Additional Revenue. "By going forward with offshore Atlantic oil and gas leasing and with Virginia participating in the development of offshore Atlantic resources, a recent report estimates that the state's activity could: Create approximately 1,900 new jobs in Virginia; Add $365 million annually to the Gross Domestic Product; and Generate almost $19.5 billion in government revenues at all levels of government (federal, state and local)." ("Potential Job Creation, Economic Benefits And Revenue Sharing From Oil And Natural Gas Production And Exploration In Virginia," Southeast Energy Alliance, 10/14/10) Democrats Criticized The Decision "Political Leaders From Both Parties Are Expressing Frustration With The Obama Administration After The Department Of Interior Announced Today That It Will Not Include Virginia In Its Proposed Final Offshore Oil And Gas Leasing Program For 2012-2017, Which Covers Leasing Strategy And Sales On The Outer Continental Shelf." ("Leaders Respond To Drilling Decision," Augusta Free Press, 6/28/12) - "Most Of Virginia's Elected Officials, Regardless Of Political Party, Have Expressed Interest In Drilling, Saying Production Would Bring Thousands Of Jobs And Millions Of Dollars To The Financially Strapped State." (Anita Kumar, "Virginia Politicians Complain About exclusion In Offshore Drilling Pan," The Washington Post , 6/28/12)
Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA): "I Regret That The Administration Failed To Include Virginia In Its Proposed Final Five-Year Lease Plan." WEBB: "I regret that the administration failed to include Virginia in its proposed final five-year lease plan. … Energy exploration and subsequent production within the Virginia Outer Continental Shelf – if coupled with an equitable formula for sharing revenues between the state and federal governments – would boost domestic energy production, while benefiting the Commonwealth's economy." ("Leaders Respond To Drilling Decision," Augusta Free Press, 6/28/12) Former DNC Chair And Senate Candidate Tim Kaine: Disagrees With Obama And "Department Of The Interior's Decision to Exclude Virginia From Their Five Year Lease Plan" And Disappointed "DOI Chose To Disregard" Bipartisan Support." KAINE: "I am encouraged by the recent increase in domestic energy production, but I disagree with the Department of the Interior's decision to exclude Virginia from their five year lease sale plan. When the Commonwealth was left out of the DOI's draft plan, I joined a bipartisan coalition, including Governor McDonnell and Senators Warner and Webb, which spoke out in support of adding Virginia to the final version. Unfortunately, the DOI chose to disregard this bipartisan show of support." ("Virginia Not Included In offshore Oil And Gas Program," Fairfax News, 6/28/12) Obama "Administration Postponed Lease Sales" And "Never Included Virginia In Subsequent Plans." "Obama had announced that Virginia would become one of the first East Coast states to drill offshore. But the administration postponed lease sales after the spill and never included Virginia in subsequent plans." (Anita Kumar, "Virginia Politicians Complain About exclusion In Offshore Drilling Pan," The Washington Post , 6/28/12) AFTER BILLING VIRGINIA AS THE FIRST EAST COAST STATE TO ALLOW OFFSHORE DRILLING, OBAMA SCUTTLED LEASING PLANS "Obama Had Announced That Virginia Would Become One Of The First East Coast States To Drill Offshore. But The Administration Postponed Lease Sales After The Spill And Never Included Virginia In Subsequent Plans." (Anita Kumar, "Virginia Politicians Complain About exclusion In Offshore Drilling Pan," The Washington Post , 6/28/12) A 2007 Department Of Interior Decision Set In Motion An Offshore Drilling Lease Sale Off Virginia's Coast. "The Interior Department has put the final touches on a five-year plan to expand oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore from Alaska and Virginia. Interior officials said Friday the plan will include more environmental buffer zones around lease areas and make other minor changes to a previous draft. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne is scheduled to announce the 'major oil and gas development program' Monday, a department statement says. … Interior's plan would, for the first time, allow drilling off Virginia's eastern shore, in a wedge-shaped area between the Maryland and North Carolina state lines stretching to a point about 200 miles east." ("Interior To Propose Expanding Offshore Drilling," The Associated Press , 4/27/07) But In 2010, The Obama Administration Upended Virginia's Plans To Be The First Atlantic Coast State To Permit Offshore Drilling. "The pursuit of oil and natural gas off Virginia's coast, gaining momentum two months ago, came to an abrupt halt Thursday as President Barack Obama clamped down on the offshore drilling industry. Obama said he will cancel lease sales planned off Virginia and in the western Gulf of Mexico, continue a ban on new deepwater oil drilling permits for six months, and delay a lease sale off Alaska. … Canceling the Virginia lease sale upends Gov. Bob McDonnell's effort to make Virginia the first Atlantic coast state to permit offshore drilling." (Cory Nealon, "Va. Drilling Plans Dealt New Setback," Daily Press, 5/28/10) And Last Year, The Obama Administration Excluded Virginia And The Rest Of The Eastern Seaboard From New Leases. "The Obama administration's new five-year plan for offshore oil and gas drilling includes lease sales in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Alaska but will not offer leases for drilling off Virginia or other parts of the eastern United States." (Steve Mufson, "Offshore Drilling Plan Excludes Virginia," The Washington Post , 11/8/11) - The Announcement Signaled A "Step Back From Proposals President Obama Made In The Spring Of 2010…" "In postponing lease sales along the Eastern Seaboard, the plan took a step back from proposals President Obama made in the spring of 2010 before a blowout on BP's Macondo well triggered last year's giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico." (Steve Mufson, "Offshore Drilling Plan Excludes Virginia," The Washington Post , 11/8/11)
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) Called Obama's Decision "Disappointing, Because The Safe, Responsible Development Of Offshore Energy Resources Has Broad Support From Virginians And Among The Bipartisan Elected Leadership Of The State." WARNER: "This is disappointing, because the safe, responsible development of offshore energy resources has broad support from Virginians and among the bipartisan elected leadership of the state. … I will be strongly urging the administration to take another look at including Virginia in its five-year plan." ("Virginia Left Out Of Offshore Drilling" The Fredericksburg Free Lance Star's "On Politics" Blog, 11/8/11) |
