February 24, 2023 — Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey is asking the Government Accountability Office to scrutinise the US Bureau of Offshore Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Marine Fisheries Service’s process of environmental reviews of proposed offshore wind projects.
On 21 February, the Marine Mammal Commission, an independent government agency, issued a statement: “Despite several reports in the media, there is no evidence to link these strandings to offshore wind energy development.”
Federal agencies have previously said that 40% of the carcasses examined showed evidence of vessel strikes or entanglement with fishing gear.