President Obama’s decision to cancel a lease for drilling for oil off the coast of Virginia, in light on the on-going disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, was met with praise from U.S. Rep. Jim Moran, chair of the House Appropriatoins Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment, today. “I greatly appreciate the Obama administration listening to our concerns and wisely pulling back on offshore drilling in light of what’s shaping up to be the worst ecological disaster in our nation’s history,” Moran said in a statement this afternoon. “This pragmatic decision will help ensure another catastrophe like the Gulf Coast disaster doesn’t repeat itself.”
On the other hand, a statement from Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said, following the White House decision to cancel Lease Sale 220 off the coast of Virginia, “I understand the decision the President has made today. While I respect this decision, and the need for delay and investigation, I do not believe outright cancellation was the only alternative given the fact that this sale was not due to occur until two years from now.”
