The Chesapeake Climate Action Network applauds President Obama for taking the much-needed and prudent step of canceling Lease Sale 220, proposed for 50 miles off Virginia

Group Urges Permanent Offshore Drilling Ban and Increased Focus on Developing Offshore Wind Energy

RICHMOND (5/27/10)—President Obama today announced that a lease sale proposed off the coast of Virginia will be canceled. The news comes as hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico every day due to an explosion and collapse of a deepwater drilling rig on April 20, 2010.

Statement from Chesapeake Climate Action Network Campaign Director, Kirsten Collings:

“The Chesapeake Climate Action Network applauds President Obama for taking the much-needed and prudent step of canceling Lease Sale 220, proposed for 50 miles off Virginia’s coast. Canceling the lease sale is an important first step towards what Virginia ultimately needs:  a permanent ban on offshore oil drilling along Virginia’s coasts and a sharpened focus on promoting offshore wind and other forms of clean, safe energy.

“Now is the time to develop Virginia’s clean offshore energy resource: Wind power. The commonwealth could easily get 10 percent of its electricity from offshore windmills, creating up to 10,000 jobs and enough power to run 3.6 million electric cars, with no threat of environmental or economic devastation.

“Oil drilling can never be made entirely safe, and the consequences – as we now vividly see – can be catastrophic. The Hampton Roads area is home to the world’s largest Naval Station and relies heavily on tourism. An oil spill off of Virginia’s coast would be devastating not only to the environment but also to the economy. Industry and government estimates say there is untapped oil off the Virginia coast equal to just 6 to 24 days’ worth of national demand. The risks of drilling are far too great for a potential reward that is far too small.

“Governor Bob McDonnell wants to make Virginia the energy capital of the East Coast. We agree. Instead of recklessly drilling for oil, Virginia should lead the nation in offshore wind power. Virginians want windmills, not oil spills.”

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