VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - Virginia’s largest city has taken a position against offshore drilling.
Media outlets report that the Virginia Beach city council voted Tuesday to oppose any operations in the Atlantic Ocean.
The vote is a recommendation to President Donald Trump. The president has ordered a review of the Obama-era ban on drilling in the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Trump will make the final decision.
The Virginian-Pilot reports that the city’s position on offshore drilling has evolved. The council voted in support of drilling seven years ago. It took a neutral stance in 2015.
Council members recently have been under pressure from the tourism industry, hotel association and civic and environmental groups who oppose offshore projects.
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