Drilling off of Virginia Beach (Hampton, Poquoson: real estate, 2015, house)

[Pyroninja42]

So, as you may have heard, there are currently oil exploration efforts off the coast of Virginia Beach. A lot of local leaders are hoping that they'll find oil, which will help diversify the local economy significantly.

What are your thoughts? If they find oil, should they drill or not drill?

[Coconut1]

The number of jobs created from that will be minimal, and the oil will most likely go some place else to be processed.

It's a bad idea all around. A spill will knock out the already paltry tourism market.

[Pyroninja42]

It's entirely possible that they might set up the infrastructure to process it here. There's more than enough real estate in the harbor to support oil and natural gas wharves instead of sending the oil/gas hundreds of miles elsewhere to be processed and then back out to, say, Houston to get transported.

[in_newengland]

Wouldn't that be a pollutant? One, an oil spill would be disastrous. But also what about the processing? Not that I know much about it, but wouldn't it affect air quality in the area. Oil isn't exactly a clean industry.

I do remember driving through New Jersey where they had oil refineries and it smelled. It was so bad that even the rivers used to be on fire. I don't live in Hampton Roads but was planning on relocating there because I have family there--that's why I would be concerned. Carcinogens in the air, lots of money needed for cleanup, and so on--just so a few can get rich.

Wasting Our Waterways Report Documents More Than 5.8 Million Pounds of Toxic Chemicals Dumped in NJ Waterways | Environment New Jersey

[Poquoson7]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

The number of jobs created from that will be minimal, and the oil will most likely go some place else to be processed.

It's a bad idea all around. A spill will knock out the already paltry tourism market.

The Hampton Roads tourism market is thriving.
The following figures are for 2015.

Expenditures $4,417,561,949
Payroll $$860,050,629
Employment 44,000
State Tax Receipts $$117,579,133
Local Tax Receipts $$151,556,827

Hardly paltry.

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by Poquoson7

The Hampton Roads tourism market is thriving.
The following figures are for 2015.

Expenditures $4,417,561,949
Payroll $$860,050,629
Employment 44,000
State Tax Receipts $$117,579,133
Local Tax Receipts $$151,556,827

Hardly paltry.

Don't know where your getting the numbers, but either way you apparently haven't been keeping up with the news the past three days. The economy is HR is stagnant, jobs are far and few, pay is terrible, and nothing is going to change any time soon.

The time of reckoning has come. Pretend all you want that these tiny little markets like tourism are thriving. This is a military town and that's all there is to it. The teat of government is drying up, and HR will continue to wither on the vine.

[markmopar]

I wholeheartedly support drilling.
Contrary to what Coconut1 has to say, MANY a job would be created. Good paying jobs.
Unfortunately, there are Federal restrictions on offshore drilling on the east coast. A real Governor would challenge or even ignore them, but McAuliffe won't.

[Poquoson7]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

Don't know where your getting the numbers, but either way you apparently haven't been keeping up with the news the past three days. The economy is HR is stagnant, jobs are far and few, pay is terrible, and nothing is going to change any time soon.

The time of reckoning has come. Pretend all you want that these tiny little markets like tourism are thriving. This is a military town and that's all there is to it. The teat of government is drying up, and HR will continue to wither on the vine.

I just made the numbers up and haven't kept up with any news since 1989 and have no idea what I'm talking about. I have also built a shelter in the back yard to house my family when the teat goes completely dry and ravenous ex DOD workers begin roaming the neighborhoods.
You really should run for some kind of public office since you have all the answers and are the VOICE OF REASON.

The continued negativity and bashing is so pathetic and irrational and your credibility is stunningly absent.

My glass is half full regarding the economic problems facing Hampton Roads, I have hope that we will pull out of this slump and thrive. There is so much potential for this area and has been discussed in the media over the last few weeks there are plans in the pipeline that will come to fruition in the coming years.
The economic diversity problem has FINALLY hit our "leaders" over the head.

[Fubarbundy]

The investment in infrastructure to develop the resource (if it's found in quantity) won't be cheap. The price of oil will go back up eventually which will make even marginal sources more cost effective to extract.

Depending on the testing results, it's not a matter of if to drill and develop, but when and where. Hopefully not in Sandbridge, but maybe further back in the swamp (since it's already dismal)?

[goofy328]

Drilling, or fracking?