Saving Seafood

Lawsuit claiming to save whales by delaying Vineyard Wind project dismissed. Now what?

May 31, 2023 — A lawsuit filed with hopes of stopping construction of Vineyard Wind 1, expected to begin installing turbines soon in waters about 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, was recently dismissed from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Brought to court in August 2021 by Nantucket Residents Against Turbines – which also goes by ACKRATS – the suit was filed primarily out of concern for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, as well as other marine animals and the marine ecosystem, in the offshore wind development area designated in federal waters on the outer continental shelf. The Nantucket residents also cited concern about impacts on Nantucket’s historic landmark status.

Touted as the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, Vineyard Wind, under development by Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is on track to generate 800-megawatts of electricity annually, powering more than 400,000 homes, starting later this year. Plans call for 62 General Electric Haliade-X turbines, spaced 1 nautical mile apart.

Read the full article at Cape Cod Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Port users: Here’s how to get notified of offshore wind vessel transits in New Bedford

May 31, 2023 — Major ships carrying wind turbine parts from Canada and Europe will arrive with great frequency in the Port of New Bedford this summer — activity that will necessitate temporary closures and interruptions in the harbor and hurricane barrier. To keep port users apprised, the New Bedford Port Authority launched a text notification system to alert commercial and recreational operators of upcoming offshore wind vessel transits.

“Now that we have experienced the first large scale offshore wind vessel entering the harbor, and with the increase in regularity of offshore wind vessel activity, we want to be able to notify our port users on the frequency and size of these vessels to minimize any disruptions or delay,” said Gordon Carr, executive director of the Port Authority, in an email Friday.

Offshore construction and installation for the Vineyard Wind project off of Martha’s Vineyard will pick up speed this summer, which means many heavy-load carriers and barges will be coming in and out of the port with giant offshore wind towers, nacelles and blades.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

 

NEW JERSEY: Wind Farm Protesters March in Ocean City

May 31, 2023 — Kathleen Harper said she had never been part of an organized protest before. But she felt compelled to join with other protesters Saturday in Ocean City in opposition to a proposed offshore wind farm project that critics believe would be nothing less than an environmental “disaster.”

Harper, who lives in Dennis Township, carried a sign that declared, “Stop the Wind Turbines. Save the Whales. Protect Our Oceans.” She also placed a toy shark on top of her head as another symbol of her concerns for the marine life.

“I’m worried about the loss of our whales and the destruction of our ocean floor,” she said.

Harper reflects a growing movement that has brought together grass-roots protesters like herself with political leaders representing the coastal communities at the Jersey Shore to oppose plans for the Ocean Wind 1 project that would stretch from Atlantic City to Stone Harbor, 15 miles offshore.

Amid applause and cheers from Harper and other protesters, speaker after speaker denounced the wind farm during a rally Saturday morning that began in a small park across from City Hall and continued with a march across the Route 52 causeway bridge connecting Ocean City and Somers Point.

Read the full article at OCNJDaily

NEW JERSEY: Blue state county votes unanimously against offshore wind development

May 31, 2023 — A county in New Jersey voted unanimously to oppose an offshore wind farm proposed for its coastline, citing the project’s negative impacts on the environment, tourism industry and beach vistas.

In a 4-0 vote this week, the Cape May County, New Jersey, Board of Commissioners passed a resolution green-lighting reasonable use of all the county’s resources to oppose the wind projects developed by Danish multinational energy company Orsted. The county is also considering legal options and appealed a state public utility permit it says would transfer “real property interests” from residents to Orsted.

“At first, the County of Cape May was interested in trying to work with Orsted to find a way forward, perhaps with some modifications to the project to reduce visual, environmental and economic impacts,” Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Len Desiderio said in a statement.

Read the full article at Fox News

Biden admin advances first-ever wind leasing in Gulf of Mexico amid calls for moratorium

May 31 2023 — The Biden administration inched closer to green-lighting offshore wind energy lease sales spanning about 682,000 acres in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published a final environmental assessment which it described as a “key milestone” as part of the Biden administration’s goal of holding the first-ever offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. The assessment, which analyzed impacts leasing would have on the environment and wildlife, was coincided with a finding of no significant impacts.

“The completion of our environmental review is an important step forward to advance clean energy development in a responsible manner while promoting economic vitality and well-paying jobs in the Gulf of Mexico region,” BOEM Director Liz Klein said in a statement.

Read the full article at Fox News

NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina joins East Coast states’ effort to establish regional fisheries mitigation for offshore wind development

May 26, 2023 — Gov. Roy Cooper has just announced that North Carolina has joined other East Coast states involved with a joint project to support fisheries mitigation in the development of sustainable and responsible deployment of offshore wind.

“It is important that we work to meet our state’s offshore wind energy goals while still protecting our marine fishery industry,” said Governor Cooper. “We are committed to collaborating with other states in this effort to make sure we achieve both goals.”

According to a press release, “North Carolina is working with Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.”

The Special Initiative on Offshore Wind is focused on establishing a framework to compensate commercial and for-hire fishermen, if faced with economic impact due to offshore wind development.

Read the full story at WECT

MASSACHUSETTS: Massive wind turbine parts arrive in New Bedford harbor

May 25, 2023 — The first wind turbine components arrived in the Port of New Bedford Wednesday afternoon on a nearly 500-foot heavy load carrier, sailing through the hurricane barrier without incident at around 4:50 p.m. and wowing those who watched the massive ship enter the harbor.

After days of travel across the Atlantic Ocean, the UHL Felicity arrived from Portugal, met by New Bedford Police boat escorts and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the New Bedford hurricane barrier.

Small groups of curious onlookers and reporters watched from both the New Bedford and Fairhaven sides of the barrier gates as the blue-hulled carrier, with white tower components lying on top, glided into the harbor. It took about an hour after that for it to slowly back in — with the help of two tugboats — and dock at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal.

The Light for nearly two weeks has been tracking several vessels in the U.S. and Europe that are set to support the nation’s first commercial-scale wind farm, Vineyard Wind. With New Bedford serving as the construction and staging base, several barges, carriers and supply ships will be coming to the port in the next several months, some making repeated trips.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

50 blue state mayors call for offshore wind moratorium amid whale, dolphin deaths

May 25, 2023 — Dozens of East Coast mayors representing cities in three Democratic-led states — New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland — are calling for an offshore wind development moratorium in light of recent marine wildlife deaths.

In an open letter to Congress sent Tuesday, 50 mayors from across the three states said offshore wind development should immediately cease until a thorough investigation is conducted. The mayors expressed concern that the increasing number of whale and dolphin deaths is negatively impacting the ocean ecosystem their communities rely upon.

“Our coastal economies rely on a healthy ocean ecosystem to function, and we are increasingly concerned about the environmental impacts offshore wind may already be affecting our communities,” the mayors wrote to Congress.

Read the full article at Fox News

Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association testimony from recent BOEM task force meeting

May 26, 2023 — Testimony from MCFA’s Emily Coffin, Seafood and Fisheries Policy Coordinator, at BOEM’s Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force meeting in Augusta on May 10-11.

My name is Emily Coffin, I’m a 5th generation fisherman out of Brunswick and work for the Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association. We are an industry-founded organization that advocates for fishing communities and we believe in stewarding our marine resources for a sustainable and vibrant fishing future.

I’m here today to express my concern over the data collection approach with respect to the National Centers for Coastal Oceans Science (NCCOS) spatial modeling as well as the equity issues within the greater process of offshore wind development.

BOEM has asked fishermen for their fishing data, which is of high value, but the NCCOS model has not yet provided transparency about how exactly that data will be used. 

If BOEM values community engagement, support from the industry sector, and stakeholder participation, they will make a more significant effort not only to include and invite but seek out fishermen who share their data and answer that effort by returning information on where that data goes and how much it matters.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Feds move wind power proposals forward

May 23, 2023 — Two major wind power projects planned off the New Jersey coast have taken big steps forward with the completion of an environmental impact study for Ocean Wind 1 and the opening of the public comment portion of a draft environmental analysis for Atlantic Shores.

In announcing each development, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management described each as supporting the Biden-Harris administration’s offshore energy goals. President Joe Biden has presented offshore wind as a key part of plans to reduce the impact of climate change and build the nation’s renewable power infrastructure.

Weighing in at 570 pages, not counting more than a dozen appendices, the environmental impact statement for Ocean Wind 1 supports the construction of 98 turbines starting 15 miles off the coast and describes most potential impacts of the project as minor or negligible.

 Read the full article at The Press of Atlantic City