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Virginia Beach City Council Opposes Offshore Drilling

Erik Christensen

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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Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.