Opponents demand more scrutiny of giant Shell-EDF US offshore wind farm plan
Atlantic Shores' opponents cited 2.9GW scale and potential impacts on whales during final hearing on draft impact statement over New Jersey project
With the deadline looming 3 July, environmental activists are calling for more time to review and comment on the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the mammoth 2.9GW Atlantic Shores project off New Jersey.
Environmental activist group Clean Ocean Action (COA) “respectfully requests an extension of 90 days to the comment period to allow the public to fully comprehend and assess the information presented in such a large document,” said Toni Groet, the organisation's south Jersey planner.
The comments were made during BOEM’s virtual hearing this week that saw multiple New Jersey residents sound off on the project, with views roughly split between supporters and opponents.
The hearing was the last of four – two in person, and two virtual – on the project's draft EIS.
COA has spearheaded offshore wind opposition in New Jersey and says it opposes the mass industrialisation of coastal environments.
The publication of the draft EIS also conflicted with open fishing seasons, said Cindy Zipf, head of COA, with many fishing professionals currently at sea and unable to give the dense document adequate attention.
An extension of the comment period would give them time to “review the 1000s of pages and supply their comments in detail”, said Zipf.
“We acknowledged the pressing need for addressing climate change and are not opposed to offshore wind when done responsibly and sustainably,” said Groet.
Nevertheless, she said the group was opposed to the development of Atlantic Shores citing a “lack of proper baseline science to determine the true impacts of this large-scale development”.
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More than two dozen marine mammals have stranded on area shores since late year, with critics contending that offshore wind survey activities damage whale hearing and lead to vessel collisions.
Government scientists deny any connection and instead attribute the deaths to climate change-linked behavioural changes amid a post-pandemic rise in shipping to the Northeast.
Unique in the US, New Jersey demands that any federal investment tax credits (ITC) offered to the project, including the up to 40% provided by landmark federal climate legislation assuming conditions are met, must be returned to ratepayers.
Orsted contends that rising inflation and interest rates and ongoing supply chain turmoil have rendered Ocean Wind 1 uneconomical without the ITC.
The issue is reportedly under consideration by the Murphy administration.
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