Great work by Rep. Donald McEachin (D-VA04) as usual – do NOT allow oil drilling off Virginia’s coast under any circumstances.
McEachin Questioned BOEM at Virginia Public Meeting on Offshore Drilling
Richmond, Va. – Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) attended the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) public meeting with his fellow Virginians to oppose drilling off the Atlantic coast as that could threaten public health and our treasured Chesapeake Bay.
“My perception is that Secretary Zinke and the Trump Administration don’t want or are scared of input from the people living in our coastal communities because they chose to host a public meeting about 100 miles away, and in the middle of a weekday afternoon, from those most impacted,” said Congressman Donald McEachin. “This ill-conceived plan by the Trump Administration is irresponsible, and members from both sides of the aisle are unified in opposition. Virginia has so much to lose. Offshore drilling is wrong for our environment, for our economy, and for our coastal military operations.”
Early last year the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order and a Secretary Order, which collectively began the process of developing a new National OCS (Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program). This program would open both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to offshore drilling – which could result in an oil spill that would devastate the lifestyle and economies of our coastal communities. Congressman McEachin has resisted this initiative every step of the way.