Natural Gas Exploration Off Virginia Beach Debated

RICHMOND — With its sandy coastline, summer beach houses, lush marshes and panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, Virginia Beach has been a magnet for surfers, sunbathers and anglers for decades, luring millions of tourists each year.

Now, the General Assembly would like to see the waters miles off the city’s shore act as another sort of El Dorado: one for natural gas exploration.

During the winter legislative session, lawmakers passed a measure that calls on the federal government to allow Virginia to opt out of a 25-year-old moratorium on drilling for natural gas off the Eastern Seaboard. The drilling ban is a hallmark of the nation’s environmental protections, its supporters say.

Virginia lawmakers think it is time to ease the ban so the state can take advantage of any energy deposits below. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) is reviewing the bill and probably will act on it Friday. He could sign it, veto it or amend it, and he has not indicated what he will do.

Washington Post