RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Federal officials have set a new date for a meeting on potentially reopening the Virginia coastline to oil and gas drilling.
The Virginian-Pilot reports the meeting is now scheduled for Feb.21. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management put off a meeting in January near Richmond due to a snowstorm.
In January, President Donald Trump’s administration announced it’ll seek to dramatically expand offshore oil and gas exploration.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has said Florida’s entire coastline would be removed from the plan.
U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner are among Virginia elected officials who have asked that their state also be exempted. They and others have called on federal officials to hold meetings on the drilling plan in the Virginia Beach area as well as the Eastern Shore.
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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com
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