Saving Seafood

Tricia Jedele: Offshore wind rush is irresponsible

May 21, 2018 — In an April opinion piece, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wrote that “affordable, reliable, and abundant American energy drives domestic jobs and prosperity.” If by “drives domestic jobs and prosperity” Zinke meant “threatens the very existence of New England fishermen,” then the East Farm Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island (which represents Rhode Island commercial fishermen) would agree.

Right now, Zinke’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is reviewing a construction and operation plan submitted by Vineyard Wind. Vineyard Wind is a project company owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of Iberdrola, a company based in the industrial port city of Bilbao, Spain. These companies plan to install a massive offshore wind project in the waters south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.  In the first phase of the project alone, according to the plan, Vineyard Wind will install between 88 and 106 wind turbine generators, up to four electrical service platforms, 156.4 nautical miles of cable, and up to three offshore export cables that are each 122.5 nautical miles long. And this is just the first project.

There are two other project companies also vying for state contracts and state and federal approvals. Deepwater Wind’s Revolution Wind could be built off the Massachusetts’ coast at various sizes up to 400 megawatts in its first phase.  Bay State Wind, a 50-50 joint venture between Ørsted (a company based in Denmark) and Eversource Energy, is a proposed offshore wind project located 25 miles off the Massachusetts’ coast and 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard with the potential to build up to 2,000 megawatts of wind power in the area.  Combined and fully developed, these projects could install more than 500 turbines in the waters off Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Read the full story at Commonwealth Magazine

 

Washington must come to grips with offshore wind conflicts

May 17, 2018 — Offshore wind energy developers have momentum building for them in East Coast waters. But other maritime industries want to ease up on the throttle.

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently held another round of public meetings in New Jersey and New York, gathering information for what could be a future round of lease offerings in the New York Bight. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke has promised to help fast track future permitting.

Already Statoil has plan for its Empire Wind turbine array, tucked into a 79,350-acre federal lease near the apex of ship traffic separation lanes near the entrance to New York Harbor. That could mean a lot of new maritime jobs, along with a new kind of navigational risk.

The Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey supports renewable energy, said Edward Kelly, the association’s executive director, at a May 9 meeting BOEM hosted in Newark, N.J.

Read the full story at WorkBoat

 

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Asks for More Time to Analyze Offshore Wind Impacts on Commercial Fishermen

May 10, 2018 — WASHINGTON — New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is asking the federal government for more time to analyze the potential impacts of offshore wind development, specifically on the state’s important commercial fishing industry.

In a letter last week to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Gov. Murphy wrote that the 45 days allotted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for comments on wind development in the New York Bight “is simply not enough time” for New Jersey to conduct the extensive outreach to fishermen it needs. Citing the year of stakeholder outreach conducted by New York, Gov. Murphy requested a 180-day extension of the public comment period.

“New Jersey and its fishing industry need ample time to collect and provide to BOEM more detailed information to enable BOEM to do a responsible job during the next stage of its wind energy leasing process,” Gov. Murphy wrote.

Gov. Murphy called input from New Jersey fishermen “particularly critical” because the state’s main fishing grounds are in areas that New York has submitted to BOEM for potential wind energy development, including two vital areas that are closest to New Jersey’s coast.

“While New Jersey believes that wind energy and the fishing industry can coexist productively, it is critical that potential conflicts from these multiple uses be identified and planned for early in the process,” Gov. Murphy wrote.

According to the letter, New Jersey is “only now beginning [its] review and stakeholder process,” in contrast to New York, which has had four years to conduct studies of offshore wind areas. It pointed out that New York did not effectively engage with New Jersey fishermen or other stakeholders as part of this process.

Gov. Murphy was also critical of BOEM’s own lack of engagement with New Jersey’s fishing industry, stating that they have “not yet been meaningfully involved in the process.” He pointed to two letters from New Jersey to BOEM late last year, which highlighted the lack of stakeholder outreach and requested meetings between fishermen and BOEM before moving forward with a public comment period.

However, BOEM scheduled just one fisheries-based meeting on the New York Bight in one location after its call for comments.

“This minimal level of outreach and limited time frame for response from New Jersey’s stakeholders are simply not adequate or equitable,” Gov. Murphy wrote.

Gov. Murphy’s letter is the latest effort to ensure that the concerns of fishing communities are properly considered in the development of offshore energy projects. In April, members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities wrote to Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, expressing their concerns over several proposed offshore projects and calling for more robust stakeholder engagement.

 

NEFMC Calls on BOEM to Look at Fishery Impacts of Vineyard Wind Project

May 10, 2018 — The New England Fishery Management Council is calling on federal regulators to address the concerns raised by fishing communities about the proposed Vineyard Wind offshore energy project. The request came in public comments the Council submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on April 30.

Specifically, the Council has asked BOEM to require that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project identify fisheries that are likely to be affected by wind farm construction, the potential alignment of the wind turbines, ways to mitigate any potential economic and environmental damage, and the cumulative effects of offshore energy development along the Atlantic coast. Vineyard Wind has proposed constructing a wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts.

“Commercial and recreational fisheries for the species managed by the Council are important sources of economic benefits along the entire Atlantic coast,” the Council writes. “If future benefits of these activities are to be realized, offshore energy development must minimize risks to marine species and existing human uses.”

According to the Council, BOEM must consider factors such as possible displacement of fishing activity, the impacts on vessels traveling through affected areas, and potential mitigation strategies for these impacts. As part of this analysis, the Council is requesting that BOEM investigate alternative plans for how wind farms and turbines are arranged on the ocean floor, to most effectively minimize their effects on existing ocean activities.

“A clear assessment of the costs and benefits associated with various layouts is critically important, as the setup of the array is fundamental to the ability of fishing activities to continue within the wind farm,” the letter states.

Finally, the Council asks that BOEM not just analyze the potential impact of the Vineyard Wind Project in isolation, but also take into account a long-term view of the cumulative effects wind energy development will have on the region’s fisheries.

“Given the number of wind energy projects being proposed along the Atlantic coast, the cumulative effects analysis must be comprehensive,” the Council writes. “We encourage a broad view of those projects that are reasonably foreseeable, keeping in mind that many fisheries operate on a regional scale and could be affected by projects offshore of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as New York and New Jersey.”

Read the full letter here.

 

New York: Deepwater Wind Public Hearing Next Thursday

May 10, 2018 — Members of the East Hampton Town Board will be joined by the East Hampton Town Trustees next week for a public hearing on a request by Deepwater Wind to land a power cable for its proposed South Fork Wind Farm off Beach Lane in Wainscott.

The hearing will be held at LTV Studios in Wainscott at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 17.

The South Fork Wind Farm is proposed to include 12 to 15 wind turbines and be constructed 30 miles southeast of Montauk.  In December, Deepwater Wind officials said Beach Lane was the ideal location to land the cable, offering the best protection for it from erosion or damage during coastal storms. The landing site also offers the shortest route on the ground to a PSEG substation in East Hampton Village. While the two-year environmental review of the South Fork Wind Farm will be led by the New York Public Service Commission on the state level, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on the federal level, town officials must sign off on the landing of the cable before that process can begin.

Read the full story at the Sag Harbor Express

 

New York State officials: East End shouldn’t be considered for wind farms

May 9, 2018 — New York State will urge the federal government to exclude coastal areas off the Hamptons shore line from consideration for offshore wind farms, officials said.

At a public meeting in Southampton on Monday to discuss the state’s blueprint for offshore wind development and proposed offshore area maps, state officials discussed reasons for removing a large proposed East End wind-farm area from federal consideration, including visual and fishing impacts.

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released the maps for proposed New York areas last month, seeking comments and proposals. The agency will accept comments through May 29.

New York State specifically removed the East End areas from its proposed wind-farm maps in a blueprint released earlier this year. New York prefers wind farms to be at least 21 miles from shore. The Block Island wind farm, at 15 miles from Montauk Point, can be clearly seen from Montauk.

The state also cited concerns about extensive cable crossings and navigational risks, said Doreen Harris, director of large-scale renewables for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which is leading the state’s offshore wind planning efforts. The areas also are used heavily for commercial fishing.

Read the full story at Newsday

 

New York: Plans For Offshore Wind Energy Draw Criticism At Hearing In Southampton On Monday

May 8, 2018 — The difference between what the federal government and New York State have carved out for renewable wind energy projects destined to be built off the south shore of Long Island is about 2.7 miles.

That’s a big difference, especially for the commercial fishermen, environmentalists and South Fork residents who voiced their concerns Monday about wind farms proposed in their backyards.

“We know the moment [the federal government] gets a taste of wind farms in the Atlantic, we are going to be playing whack-a-mole with energy and oil companies creeping up on our fishing grounds,” Bonnie Brady said at a presentation by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, or NYSERDA, on Monday night at the Southampton Inn.

Ms. Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association in Montauk, said that, like other commercial fishermen in the audience, she worries that the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, which has jurisdiction over the Atlantic, will lease more ocean for wind energy development and wind up hurting the industry.

In October 2017, NYSERDA recommended two leasing areas to BOEM after various studies. The state’s master plan was praised by some residents, like Gordian Raacke, executive director of Renewable Energy Long Island, for its speedy analysis.

Read the full story at 27 East

 

Federal, state and local agencies express serious concerns over impact of offshore wind on Northeast fishermen

May 4, 2018 — WASHINGTON — In three letters submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), agencies representing New Bedford, Massachusetts, the state of Massachusetts, and the federal government outlined serious concerns over a proposed wind farm off Massachusetts. The Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office of NOAA Fisheries, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), and the New Bedford Port Authority (NBPA) Fisheries Advisory Committee on Offshore Wind submitted their comments as BOEM begins drafting an environmental impact statement for a plan submitted by Vineyard Wind LLC.

Michael Pentony, the Northeast Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries wrote in his comments to BOEM that “commercial and recreational fishing are essential components of the existing landscape that must be preserved in the development of the project.” Mr. Pentony recommended that the Vineyard Wind project include analyses of the environmental impact, economic consequences, and long-term effects of wind energy development on the region’s fisheries.

This includes measuring the impact of wind turbine construction on the area’s essential fish habitats, the effects it will have on local fish populations, and how construction will affect commercial and recreational fishing operations. Mr. Pentony similarly called on Vineyard Wind to study any adverse economic impacts the project may have on regional fishing communities. He also urged developers to consider construction in alternative locations, and to not construct in areas where objections have already been raised.

“It is encouraging that NOAA is making clear the need to use the same type, level, and quality of information to locate, build, and operate offshore wind farms as the Councils and NMFS use in fisheries management decisions,” said David Frulla, an attorney representing the Fisheries Survival Fund. “NOAA emphasizes in great detail these wind energy installations will be ocean-altering, both individually and cumulatively.  These projects raise valid concerns regarding historic livelihoods, essential fish habitat, and fish populations, not to mention endangered and threatened species.”

Dr. David Pierce, director of the Massachusetts DMF, noted in his comments that commercial and recreational fishing in Nantucket Sound “provides tens of millions of dollars in revenue to the local economy, and is an integral, indeed historic, part of life in many Cape Cod and Island towns.” Dr. Pierce wrote that DMF remains concerned that the assumption that the wind energy area will be open to fishing is an “oversimplification.”

He also noted that Vineyard Wind’s plan does not adequately characterize all species potentially affected by the project, nor does it describe effects of oceanographic changes or the resulting impact on larval patterns and settlement of scallops or food patch dynamics for marine mammals. Additionally, for some species in the wind development area, impacts of electromagnetic fields are poorly studied, Dr. Pierce wrote.

The NBPA advisory committee, comprised of fishing interests from Maine to North Carolina, noted in its letter that commercial fishermen have approval from NOAA to fish in Vineyard Wind’s lease area, and that, as part of the lease agreement, the project cannot unreasonably interfere with their fishing activities. The committee wrote that Vineyard Wind’s plan struggled to identify all fisheries that would be impacted, and that there has been little coordination with fishing interests on cable routes or transit lanes. They also expressed concern over the size and scale of the project and lack of a detailed mitigation plan for fisheries financially impacted by the installation of wind turbines. They called for more independent study to measure impacts on individual fisheries, the impact of the diversion of fishing effort outside the lease area, the impact on right whales, and the impact on navigation.

 

Oil exploration raises issue of undersea munitions, including Tybee bomb

May 1, 2018 — Frank Knapp has been battling the prospect of offshore drilling for years, convinced the industry’s infrastructure or a major spill would spoil the lucrative tourism and commercial fishing industries in the Southeast.

Lately, though, he’s sounding a new alarm that focuses not on oiled beaches or injured dolphins but on the huge quantities of undersea munitions dumped off the East Coast following WWI and WWII. And off the Georgia coast, he points out, there’s the additional question of the never-located “Tybee bomb,” a nuclear weapon lost during a training exercise 60 years ago.

“Government documents and first-hand accounts of munitions and radioactive waste being dumped off the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts to Florida came to our attention only recently,” Knapp, president and CEO of the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce, wrote in recent comments to federal regulators. “Nine of the official dump sites are off the South Carolina coast. There is a serious threat of seismic airgun blasting disturbing these materials, many in unofficial and unknown locations and all in deteriorated containers, and releasing them into the water. Commercial fishing, the public, local economies and even seismic ships and crews are in jeopardy.”

Seismic testing uses repeated loud blasts of compressed air to map the sea floor. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has proposed mitigation to protect sea life from the effects of the barrage of underwater noise, but concerns persist that the air guns will harm sea life ranging from plankton to whales. The issue of its effects on undersea ordinance, however, is a new one.

Read the full story at the Savannah Morning News

 

NEFMC Discusses Offshore Wind, Clam Dredge FW, Skates, Groundfish, Herring, IFM, and More at Mid-April Meeting

April 25, 2018 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:  

The New England Fishery Management Council met April 17-19 in Mystic, CT and discussed a wide range of issues that touched on everything from industry-funded monitoring to whether or not river herring and shad should be considered as stocks in the Atlantic herring fishery. In several cases, the Council directed its species committees to conduct additional analyses for further consideration before taking action.

The Council received an overview of offshore wind energy initiatives in the Atlantic region. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is collecting public comment on several projects. Since the comment periods end before the Council meets again June 12-14, 2018 in Portland, ME, the Council authorized its Habitat Committee and staff to draft comment letters for the following solicitations:

  • Vineyard Wind – BOEM has issued a notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement;
  • New York Bight – BOEM has issued a “call for information.” The Council’s letter, among other things, will include an analysis of fisheries active in the call areas;
  • Massachusetts Areas – BOEM has issued a proposed sale notice for additional lease areas off Massachusetts. Within its comments, the Council will express its position that, if granted, any lease provisions should require developers to have a Fishery Communication Plan and Fisheries Liaison; and
  • Path Forward – BOEM is collecting comments on a proposed “path forward for offshore wind leasing.” In addition to providing specific suggestions, the Council will request a 90-day extension to the comment deadline, which at present is May 21.

View the release in its entirety here.