December 29, 2008
Minerals Management Service
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Attention: Mr. Carrol Williams
1201 Elmwood Park Blvd.
Mail Stop 5422
New Orleans, LA 70123-2394
Dear Mr. Williams:
With regard to the MMS Call for Information related to Lease Sale 220 offshore Virginia scheduled for 2011, the Virginia Business Council expresses its strong support for the commencement of a leasing program on the currently-proposed schedule.
The Virginia Business Council is a non-partisan organization comprised of the senior management of Virginia’s largest and most influential businesses. The Council advocates in support of public policy that will enhance free enterprise and economic development in Virginia, and works closely with policy makers to promote a healthy economy and high quality of life to ensure that Virginia remains an attractive place to live and work.
Today, Virginia is recognized as a national leader in providing opportunities for its citizens and maintaining an attractive business environment. Continuing to provide competitively-priced energy to Virginia’s citizens and businesses is absolutely critical to maintaining economic opportunity and prosperity. Ensuring adequate long-term supplies of energy through carefully-managed offshore drilling is a fundamental key to future growth and prosperity in Virginia.
Natural gas is clean burning, safe and reliable, and is an essential source of domestic energy for homeowners, businesses and industry. The energy industry has clearly demonstrated the ability to extract natural gas from underground formations both onshore and offshore with minimal and temporary environmental impacts. The Council believes a proper balance can be achieved between protecting our marine environment while allowing access to plentiful new supplies of energy, and that those protections can be appropriately implemented in connection with development of offshore energy sources.
I appreciate your consideration of these comments. I encourage MMS to move forward with the proposed lease, in the best interests of our Commonwealth’s and nation’s energy consumers.
Sincerely,
