(Crossposted at Blue Virginia.)

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA06) is proposing a bill, the “Virginia Access to Energy Act” (H.R. 4942), that forces Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to conduct Virginia Lease Sale 220 within a year of the bill’s passage. “The ‘Virginia Access to Energy Act’ will remove the regulatory hurdles that have impeded development and create a path for Virginia to become ‘the Energy Capital of the East Coast’”, Goodlatte said.

“Impeding development” is the fact that the science potentially supporting Virginia’s offshore drilling is 30 years out of date. A thorough environmental study cannot not be performed in time for a 2011 lease sale.

Revealed at a Department of Interior workshop in Williamsburg in December 2008, large data gaps exist when it comes to endangered and protected species, fish and fisheries, the biology of the ocean floor, the ecosystems found in Virginia’s offshore ocean canyons and coral reefs, as well as the physical and geological oceanography.

Off Virginia’s coast, there have been sightings of sea turtles, right whales, humpback whales, and sperm whales - all of which are classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Dolphins, porpoises, pilot whales and beaked whales which are all protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act have also been sighted in what is Virginia’s lease sale area. Due to a lack of consistent survey effort throughout the region, seasonal distribution patterns and abundance patterns for all these species are not well known. Also, no surveys for birds have been conducted in the region. There is limited information regarding the ecosystems of the Norfolk and Washington Canyons as they tend to be spatially diverse, complex and difficult to study.

Especially for oil spill risk analysis, current and wind information has been deemed a high priority data gap. The presence of several deep water canyons within the Virginia lease sale area complicates the physical and geological setting. There is limited understanding of the effect of internal tides and waves and their mixing with currents at the shelf break and canyon heads.

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by Tyla Matteson, Chapter Political Chair and York River Group Chair

The York River Group has held candidate forums for 20 years, in Hampton and Newport News, and have enjoyed great success with them. Our local political work provides the candidates with information on issues related to the protection of our natural resources. The forums afford SC members and the general public an opportunity to hear from the candidates, with an opening and a closing statement, and answer questions from the public.

On occasion, there is an issue of significant importance or controversy, such as the proposed King William Reservoir, which not only brings out the pros and cons, but also gets media attention for the issue and for the Sierra Club.

In addition to forums, we also send a questionnaire to all candidates, asking questions on land use and protection, air quality protection, water & wetland protection, addressing climate change, sea level rise, encouraging their city governments and citizens to turn to alternative energy such as solar and wind power, and encouraging recycling programs. The questions are specific to the areas, depending whether the candidates are in Hampton, Newport News, or on occasion Williamsburg.

The questionnaire responses, forum and public statements, and if applicable, voting records, are evaluated by the two appropriate committees, for a possible SC endorsement. Following any endorsement, SC members are encouraged to assist in the candidate’s campaigns, with the goal to elect another friend to the environment.

Forum for Newport News Mayor and City Council Candidates
Date: 6:45-8:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Location: Newport News Main Street Library, 110 Main Street
Contact: Tyla Matteson 804-275-6476 or Ann Moore 757-722-9785

Forum for Hampton City Council Candidates
Date: 7:00-9:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Location: Sandy Bottom Nature Center, 1255 Big Bethel Rd., Hampton
Contact: Tyla Matteson 804-275-6476 or Ann Moore 757-722-9785

This week, Sierra Club and the U.S. Green Building Council activists are kicking-off public tours of green buildings to highlight the local economic and environmental benefits of energy-efficient, sustainable buildings.

One tour stop is in our own neighborhood. On Tuesday, March 16 from 12 to 2pm at the Ernie Morgan Environmental Action Center, we will highlight the local economic and environmental benefits of an energy-efficient and sustainable building. Come learn more about solar energy, eco-gardens and sustainability. Refreshments will be served. $2 suggested donation. Contact Christy Fisher 520-730-9708 or Judy Hinch 757-816-8989 for more info.

Ernie Morgan Environmental Action Center is located at 3500 Granby St. near the Virginia Zoo at Lafayette Park.

Just yesterday (March 3), Interior Secretary Ken Salazar again reiterated his concerns for drilling off Virginia’s coast in 2011. For E&E Daily (only available online with subscription):

The offshore proposal will also address whether to move forward with a lease sale planned for 2011 off Virginia, Salazar said. He added that gathering more information about resources off the Atlantic Coast “is important to do because we have no recent information — it’s 30 years old, and it’s very hard to make decisions without having that information.”

He also said yesterday he would unveil a comprehensive offshore oil and gas drilling plan by the end of this month.

So far over 1,000 Virginians have emailed Sec. Salazar or signed our petition urging him to stop the rush to drill Virginia. Please join us! Click here to send Sec. Salazar an email TODAY!