Comment from Virginia Maritime Association
Virginia Maritime AssociationSupportTrade association
Summary: The Virginia Maritime Association (VMA), representing nearly 400 port-related businesses, supports the responsible development of offshore minerals provided it does not interfere with commercial navigation. They request that BOEM explicitly exclude shipping safety fairways and buffer zones from the mining area and conduct a formal navigation safety assessment before issuing any leasing notices.
The Virginia Maritime Association (VMA) represents nearly 400 businesses directly and indirectly engaged in the flow of waterborne commerce through Virginia’s ports. As the “Voice of Port Industries,” representing these interested parties we write to offer our feedback on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Request for Information and Interest concerning commercial leasing for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) minerals offshore the Commonwealth of Virginia (BOEM-2026-0100). Please see attached.