Statement of Governor McDonnell in Support of Congressman Scott Rigell's Proposed Amendment to H.R. 4480, The Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012

Statement

Today, Governor Bob McDonnell made the following statement in support of Representative Scott Rigell's proposed amendment to H.R. 4480, The Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012.

"On behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia, I urge support for Congressman Scott Rigell's proposed amendment to H.R. 4480 which would require the Secretary of the Interior to include Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lease Sale 220 off the coast of Virginia in the current Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Five-Year Plan for OCS oil and gas drilling, and to conduct Lease Sale 220 within one year of enactment. Overwhelmingly, and on a bi-partisan basis, Virginia local, state and federal elected officials have supported the development of energy resources off of Virginia's coast. That is why, in March of 2010, President Obama announced Virginia Lease Sale 220 would proceed in the last Five-Year Plan (2007-2012). However, the sale was later withdrawn and cancelled, postponing any future energy development off the coast of Virginia until 2017 at the earliest. This delay is unacceptable to me and to the citizens of the Commonwealth. Representative Rigell's amendment would allow Virginia's sale to advance and ensures that no oil and gas drilling would be conducted off the coast of Virginia which would conflict with military operations. Americans need energy security. Virginians need jobs. Offshore development offers both."

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