Tim Kaine's Concerns About Offshore Drilling

From U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA):

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Last week, the Trump Administration decided to open nearly all of United States waters to new oil and gas drilling, including the Atlantic coast off Virginia's shore. A move like that would be irresponsible and could put the two biggest pillars of the Hampton Roads region's economy - the military and tourism - at risk for a speculative new one. Recently, a small business owner on the Virginia Beach boardwalk asked me to imagine what a BP-like oil spill would do to summer tourism. Offshore drilling would pose a real threat to the environment, tourism, and Naval operations. Many other local business and community leaders share our concerns.

This week, the Trump Administration announced that Florida will be exempted from the drilling expansion because of local opposition following a request from the Governor, but didn't announce an exemption for Virginia despite similar local concerns. Today, I led a letter to the Administration formally asking for an exception so we can continue to prevent drilling off of Virginia's coast. President Trump knows that all coastlines could be threatened by oil rigs offshore-his removal of Florida from drilling activity tacitly admits this- and if his Administration is serious when it says local voices matter, Virginia should be given an exemption from the offshore drilling plan too.
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