Moran to McDonnell: "Offshore drilling revenue are a mirage"

Yet another reality-based person - Rep. Jim Moran, in this case - weighs in regarding Bob McDonnell's delusional belief that offshore oil revenues are just sitting out there, waiting for us to "drill baby drill" 'em out of the ground. To the contrary, as Chap Petersen pointed out, this is "a fraud wrapped in a chimera concealed within a pyramid scheme." And now, Jim Moran uses a different metaphor - a "mirage" - to describe the same thing. Either way, the point is clear and Bob McDonnell is revealed as having absolutely no clue or plan other than cut, cut, and cut some more.

I appreciate the Governor’s desire to bring in new transportation dollars, but any projections for offshore drilling revenue are a mirage.

As I stated in my March 5th letter to Governor McDonnell: even under the most optimistic scenario, drilling would not occur for at least another eight years. Because drilling would occur in federal waters, by law all royalties must go to the federal government.

Due to a solid coalition of non-coastal states who believe that offshore drilling royalties belong to all the States, there’s little to no chance the Commonwealth would receive special consideration.

Putting aside the obvious environmental concerns, drilling off Virginia’s coast could also hamper our efforts to ‘Save the Carrier’ at Norfolk. The Navy and Department of Defense are strongly opposed to any activities in the proposed region that would affect training operations. Erecting oil rigs in this zone could add fuel to Florida’s efforts to take our carrier and jeopardize other naval and NASA assets along our coastline.

Thank You, Interior Department: Oil Drilling Off Virginia Delayed Indefinitely

Great news, although Bob "Drill Baby Drill" McDonnell is probably not pleased right about now. What a shame.

The federal government's controversial plan to allow oil and gas drilling off Virginia's coast will be delayed, frustrating energy companies who for years have pushed for access to more offshore areas.

The delay also derails a recent request from Virginia's new governor for the U.S. Interior Department to lease the offshore tracts to oil and gas companies as scheduled and creates more uncertainty over whether the drilling plan will ever be carried out.

[...]

Lars Herbst, MMS regional director for the Gulf of Mexico, announced the delay last week at an offshore industry workshop held in Texas, according to several people who attended the event, which was not open to the press. MMS spokeswoman Eileen Angelico confirmed Herbst's comments.

Herbst said the MMS staff was still reviewing whether to hold the Virginia lease sale. But if it is cleared, the earliest the area would be leased is in 2012, before the current five-year drilling plan ends on June 30 of that year. The leasing plan could also be delayed past that date.

Oil drilling off Virginia's coast is a terrible idea -- a threat to the environment, to fishing, to Navy operations, and to tourism, without there being enough oil to even remotely make the risk worthwhile. I commend the federal government's decision to delay drilling, hopefully forever.

Hey, Bob: Is This "Environmentally-Friendly" Oil Drilling?

Gov. Bob McDonnell keeps telling us that drilling for oil and natural gas off the Virginia coast is 100% safe and nothing could ever possibly go wrong.

Reality continues to spill dark goupy stuff all over that pretty picture Bob likes to paint:

PORT ARTHUR, Texas -- As much as 450,000 gallons of crude oil spilled in a southeast Texas port Saturday after two vessels collided, the U.S. Coast Guard said. No injuries have been reported, but part of the port has been closed and some nearby residents have been evacuated.

Port Arthur police Sgt. Ken Carona told television station KFDM that fewer than 100 people were evacuated from the area because of hydrogen sulfide - a hazardous gas with a rotten egg smell - that was emanating from the oil.

Here's video:


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