Oil Drilling Off Virginia Coast Hits a Snag

The government's plan to explore for oil off the coast of Virginia has hit another stumbling block.

A new report from the Department of Defense seeks to place the majority of the roughly 4,500 square-mile (11,600 sq. kilometer) tract off limits to drilling. The Pentagon says those waters are crucial to operations at the Norfolk naval base and other military installations.

Rep. Jim Moran, D - Va., a drilling opponent, says the military's needs should come first.

A spokeswoman for Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has aggressively pushed the drilling plan, says the governor remains confident that the military operations and offshore drilling can coexist.

Earlier this month, the federal government delayed public hearings on the Virginia proposal after the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.