Today Environment America, Environment Virginia and
Environment Maryland announce their opposition to the Bush administration’s
plan to drill for oil and gas 50 miles off the coast of Virginia and the mouth
of the Chesapeake Bay. In filing
official comments, these three organizations ask the Minerals Management
Service to stop preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the
drilling and cancel all plans to drill.
J.R. Tolbert, Advocate for Environment Virginia said, “We
hope that Virginia Governor Kaine puts an end to this terrible drilling plan by
withdrawing the official support that the Commonwealth of Virginia initially
gave to the Minerals Management Service for including Virginia’s waters in its
long range drilling plans”. He
added, “Virginia’s request for exploration for natural gas was misunderstood
purposely by this administration and now it is time for the Governor to remove
all confusion by simply requesting that Virginia be removed entirely from the
long range plan”.
Michael Gravitz, Oceans Advocate at Environment America
said, “Drilling in this sensitive area off the coast of Virginia makes no sense
environmentally, economically, or in terms of forward looking energy policy;
rather it is the Bush administration’s final assault on our public lands on
behalf of the oil companies”. He added, “We hope the incoming Obama
administration sees this plan for what it is: the final version of ‘Drill Baby Drill’
that deserves no place at the energy policy table”.
Brad Heavner, State Director of Environment Maryland said,
“With the Chesapeake Bay assaulted from all directions and crab populations
plummeting to historically low levels, it makes no sense to drill for oil and
gas in precisely the place where the most vulnerable life stage of crabs occurs
at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and outwards 60 or 70 miles into the
ocean”. He added, “Scientists who
study the life of crabs have documented that most of the crabs in the Bay spend
part of their early lives as tiny, vulnerable larva floating around in the
drilling area where any oil pollution will kill them before they make their way
back into the Bay”.
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