11-21-08: Legislative panel to study offshore drilling

(c) 2008 The Associated Press

RALEIGH -- North Carolina legislative leaders will form a committee to study whether offshore drilling is feasible off the coast.

Senate leader Marc Basnight said Thursday he remains opposed to drilling to explore for oil and natural gas reserves. Basnight is a powerful Democrat from coastal Dare County.

But Basnight and House Speaker Joe Hackney have agreed to create a legislative panel to look at environmental concerns and what the state can do proactively on the matter.

Congress has allowed a moratorium on drilling to expire. The federal government has since started taking public comment on drilling off Virginia's coast.

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue has been opposed to drilling. But her campaign said she would be open to the idea if a team of scientists said it was safe.