President Obama Sinks Proposal to Drill Off Chesapeake Bay

Reason has prevailed in the debate over drilling off the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

President Barack Obama did the right thing yesterday by announcing that the federal government is cancelling a proposed lease sale that would have allowed drilling for oil and natural gas on 2.9 million acres of ocean bottom that lies more than 50 miles east of Virginia.

The Chesapeake's blue crabs are dancing with joy.

The environmental catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico –- where the amount of oil spilled now may surpass the Exxon Valdez disaster -- is a vivid illustration of why the risks of offshore drilling in our region far exceed the benefits.

Blue crab populations have recently rebounded in the Chesapeake Bay, underwater grasses have spread in recent years and water clarity has improved. But all of this progress could easily be wiped out by a BP-style blanket of petroleum. That's too much of a gamble.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation President Will Baker said this about offshore drilling: “Safeguards are never foolproof. And their effectiveness can be further mitigated by human error. Moreover, clean, safe alternatives such as wind and solar power as well as energy conservation readily exist that will provide the energy and jobs needed without threatening our communities, our economy, the military, and the Bay."

To read a transcript of President Obama's statements yesterday, visit the White House website. The President has reversed his position on Atlantic coast drilling since his March announcement in favor of opening up the East Coast from Virginia to Florida to offshore oil exploration.  And this reversal has disappointed some officials in Virginia.

Governor Robert McDonnell, who has made offshore drilling one of his administration's top priorities, has continued to support drilling even after the deadly April 20 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, The Washington Post reports.

On Thursday, McDonnell said he understood, but disagreed, with Obama's decision to cancel plans for proposed lease sales off the Virginia coast, the newspaper writes.

"I do not believe outright cancellation was the only alternative,'' McDonnell said in The Post. "It is my hope that the president's action does not signal the end of offshore energy exploration and production off Virginia in the years ahead."

Virginia's Democratic senators, Jim Webb and Mark Warner, had both endorsed McDonnell's drilling plan, according to the (Newport News, Va) Daily Press. But support has cooled since the Gulf of Mexico spill.  And on Thursday, both of the Virginia senators issued statements saying they supported Obama's decision to cancel the lease sale and continue to study the Gulf of Mexico spill.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has expressed opposition to the drilling proposal. And Last week, U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland, and Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, sent a letter to President Obama asking him to abandon plans for an oil drilling lease sale along the coast of Virginia due to concerns from the military.

The senators said that a recent Defense Department report showed that offshore drilling would interfere with military operations in the region.

“The risks to our national security are simply too high,” the senators wrote. "We urge you to abandon all plans for oil and gas exploration and development in this area.”

By Tom Pelton

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

(Photo pf President Obama at oil spill press conference yesterday courtesy of White House.  Photo of blue crab from Chesapeake Bay Program)

Comments

[bonnie bick]

excellent Bay Daily.

Will Baker's quote is stated, so on target.
technology breakdown, human error, weather
are all issues,
PLUS we'd be moving in the wrong direction. we need our every energy decision to move us toward energy conservation and clean energy.

happy to read Jim Webb and Mark Warner have joined in opposition.

Last week, I was shocked when I found out the ocean area between Ocean City and VA Beach were closer to off shore drilling than I realized ... the plan was well advanced and hearings were already scheduled.

The mid Atlantic shore is too valuable to risk. all of our shorelines are too valuable to risk ... with only one ocean.

[Tom Pelton]

Thanks, Bonnie.

A remaining question in my mind is this: Has the Obama Administration permanently taken off the table the idea of drilling east of Virginia? Or have they just temporarily cancelled the so-called "lease sale 220," in that region? And, of course, without a Congressional ban, any future administration can resume plans for drilling in that area.

If anyone out there knows more about this, please weigh in.

[Diane Seltzer]

that is great news - the blue crabs should be dancing with joy! As I watch the Gulf Coast disaster unfold I can't help but think that I would never want to see this happen to the Chesapeake Bay where I boat and consider to be one of the best places on earth. I'm sure Gulf residents feel the same way about their waters. The whole situation is sad.

[Richard]

Today, Anthony Weiner added his name to this worthy liegslation. The No New Drilling Act IS the answer. Please, let's all call our members of Congress to urge cosponsorship of this bill!

[Eric]

The oil companies, chfeily ExxonMobil, are big contributors to Hastings' campaign. Even though they have no drilling interest off the coast of this state, they understand the investment opportunities to be found in a congressional tool like Dick Hastings. They essentially paid him for a service, and he is providing it to them. The teabaggers may have voted for him, but he knows who his bosses really are.

[Marcia]

Thanks Chad for stating the faith based "facts"1...climate wamnirg fossil fuels2...futility of offshore drilling...only account for 3% of the worlds oil supply3...move to electric-powered transportation4...negative global ramifications (e.g. coal)How does any of this fit into the Mission Statement?I have never seen the Surfrider Foundation policy on climate change, where can I go see this policy?In response:#1 linking fossil fuels (only) to global wamnirg, disregards many aspects of weather and life on the 26% of total mass of earth. But your not curious about that.#2 do you have new information about the estimated amount of oil that may me offshore in California? Exploration of oil was outlawed in the early '70s, so your fact of 3% is more than 35 years old, and new information is a violation of State law.#3 you have faith that transportation is moving to electic. A quick check on any public road does not support this. Lets look at San Ono truck scales, not one electric vehicle. Trucks and trains use Diesel fuel, sorry.Every aspect of commercial transportation depends on Diesel fuel. Wanna eat? how do you think food is grown, harvested, delivered, and consumed? You can ignore that part of the global economy.#4 what right do you have to vilify a natural resource? There are clean uses of coal, guess you didn't know.I have been involved in Surfrider Foundation since it's inception in the early '70s and I have had it with this "sky is falling" faith, not fact based global wamnirg, raise taxes, and grant the money to popular trendy technology. Gov't will decide which to support, not the Market. This effort at global wamnirg is out of the mission statement and your use of our donated money is out of line with fighting for the protection of the surf breaks.Chad why not inform and educate using science. For example:What is the most common green house gas? and what is being done about it? (it's water vapor and what is being done about it)How is it that the sun and clouds are not included in global wamnirg projections?Explain how you are going to deal with the largest CO2 emission ever. The volcano in Alaska that just erupted. Based on what we hear, we are all doomed.I teach truck driving at a local community college, and have run a trucking business in California for almost 20 years. Why is the State of California planning and teaching truck driving through the community college system and expanding this education, if what you say is true?

[Edwin]

I do agree with obama we need to stop getting oil from the mdldie east. Why do you think we went into iraq. it was for the oil in iraq not for the iraqi people freedom.Our troops are dying because dick cheney and bush want the iraqi oil. bush and cheney lied to the American people.I ask obama to end this war in iraq.NO AMERICAN BLOOD FOR IRAQ OIL !!!

[Margarito]

So, I sent a note to the governor prnsettiog this and got this back:Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the proposed Tranquillon Ridge Lease.California's coastline is an international treasure, and I have an unwavering commitment to its preservation. I do not support the construction of new oil and gas production platforms, pipelines or other oil production facilities anywhere off our coastline, and I oppose every attempt by the federal government to allow new leasing in the federal Outer Continental Shelf off California.To help our state through these difficult budget times and to gain important environmental improvements, I am supporting a unique agreement between key environmental groups and an energy company that would generate more revenue from an existing facility. This agreement would allow an existing platform in federal waters to recover oil from a current lease in nearby state waters. The agreement would also remove four oil platforms off the Santa Barbara coast, decommission offshore pipelines and remove oil processing facilities in the cities of Lompoc and Gaviota within 14 years.There are other economic and environmental benefits from this one-time proposal. During the life of the lease, it will generate $1.8 billion in state revenue, and Santa Barbara County will receive $1.5 million for greenhouse gas reductions. Additionally, 3,900 acres of coastal lands will be donated for public use and conservation, and all greenhouse gas emissions from the lease will be mitigated or offset. When this project came up for its first vote last January, a large number of environmental groups - that oppose offshore oil and gas development - supported this project and pushed hard for its approval.Again, thank you for adding your voice to this important issue. California's ecosystem and beauty depend on residents like you who are invested in the future of our great state.Sincerely,Arnold Schwarzenegger