On February 19th, 2009, Governor Kaine asked the Federal government to delay oil and gas exploration off the Virginia coast. Attorney General Bob McDonnell and Lieutenant Governor Bolling, in separate letters to Interior Secretary Salazar explained why it is in the interest of Virginia and the United States to maintain the current exploration schedule, a position reflecting a large majority of Virginia and U.S. citizens. As this issue has become a political matter, the Thomas Jefferson Institute’s Center for Environmental Stewardship has prepared this fact sheet and powerpoint briefing to ensure the debate is based on the best information available.

The Thomas Jefferson Institute is committed to sound science and careful analysis. In preparation of our original fact sheet on Virginia Off-shore Oil and Gas, the Institute made a computational error that our peer reviewers missed. An associate discovered it a few days later and that error has now been corrected. That revised fact sheet is now posted here, but despite the original computational error the important conclusion remains the same: There are significant oil and natural gas resources off our coast, and their development can not only help Virginia create new jobs but add to the state treasury.