In the News

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) released the following statement today on the Department of Interior’s decision to remove the Atlantic Coast from in its 2017-2022 offshore leasing plan:

Today’s decision by the Department of Interior to remove the Atlantic Coast from its 2017-2022 offshore drilling lease plan is a responsible and important victory for all Virginians.

I’ve repeatedly made the case that drilling off Virginia’s coast poses significant and irreversible consequences to Virginia’s economy, jeopardizes the Defense Department’s presence in the region, and threatens our coastal communities and natural resources.  More troubling, the flawed draft proposal asked Virginians to bear all that risk for less than a few months of national oil and gas supply.

I appreciate Secretary Jewell’s acknowledgment of these very clear concerns, especially those shared by the Department of Defense, and her willingness to now exclude the Atlantic Coast from  future drilling activities.

In February 2015, Connolly led a letter with Virginia Reps. Bobby Scott and Don Beyer, urging Secretary Jewell to reconsider plans drill off Virginia’s coast. That letter can be found here. In March 2015, he penned an Oped in the Washington Post “Offshore drilling is too risky”