VIRGINIA BEACH – Gov. Tim Kaine says he’s spoken to President-elect Barack Obama and Navy Secretary Donald Winter about a possible carrier move from Norfolk to Mayport, Florida.

Kaine says he took advantage of the USS George H.W. Bush commissioning on Saturday to briefly talk with Sec. Winter.

“Just a little bit that, you know, it’s an important issue to us.  He said ‘I know that it is,’” Kaine reported. “I have also spoken with the President-elect, just to kind of put it on the radar screen that it is an important issue. I'm going to do all I can, working with the new administration but also with the congressional delegation."

Video: Kaine talks with Obama, Winter about carrier homeporting

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Kaine says he's stressed to both men that it makes no sense to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to recreate nuclear capability in Florida which already exists at Naval Station Norfolk .

The Navy seemed to get a boost last week in its effort to move a flattop to Florida. An environmental study on the impact of dredging Mayport indicated that, while whales and sea turtles would be affected, they wouldn’t be endangered.

A decision on carrier homeporting is expected any time.