Senator Carozza Presses BOEM Officials at Offshore Wind Energy Public Forum
Senator Mary Beth Carozza is calling on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to pause and postpone action on moving forward with a 2nd Central Atlantic Ocean lease area regarding offshore wind energy plans. At a forum yesterday evening at the Ocean City Convention Center, she highlighted the many unresolved questions and issues with the Central 1 lease area. Senator Carozza presented detailed questions and concerns to senior-level officials.Â
Excerpts from Senator Carozza’s presentation:
“Many local residents and visitors from Maryland do not understand the logic of proceeding
with a second lease area, Central 2. We strongly object to proceeding as this latest proposal
would only compound the areas of concern, especially with the construction of turbines being as close to three miles off Maryland’s Coast.
The BOEM notice for this Call Area 2 recognizes the role of the Central Atlantic
Intergovernmental Renewal Energy Task Force, of which I am member, to further evaluate the appropriateness of the Call Area for offshore wind energy development.
The BOEM Environmental Impact Study conceded there are substantial and sometimes long-
lasting negative impacts from offshore wind energy development but seems to dismiss many of them as being “unlikely” and not to be further studied.
The potential harm, loss of marine life habitat and species as well as human life in some
instances should demand that all be fully addressed. We install fire extinguishers knowing a fire is unlikely, and we have life jackets onboard even though a boat taking on water is unlikely. The known and stated possible but unlikely negative impacts of offshore wind energy development should not be dismissed but, rather, be studied and plans developed to minimize their possibility or to deal with them if they happen.”
Senator Carozza also requested written responses from BOEM on her detailed questions below:
1. “The Mid-Atlantic is in Hurricane Alley. While Ocean City has been fortunate to avoid
major hurricane damage in recent years, we still have exposure. Have any wind-tunnel
models been done to gather data about the impact of hurricane-force winds on Offshore
turbines, especially the blades, and to develop a plan to deal with it? A hurricane like the
Hurricane of 1933 that formed the inlet could happen again and major Nor’easters are
common.
2. The negative impacts of sound from turbine construction over 3 years have been
addressed by the promised use of “sound barriers”. Where have they already been used
and what are the reports of their effectiveness?
3. Any offshore wind energy project requires an onshore Operation and Maintenance
facility. If additional lease areas are approved, has the location of their O & M been
addressed? Does more than one project share an O & M? How does that work when their
developers are competitors?
4. Boaters are being regularly cautioned to reduce speed down to 10 knots to prevent vessel
“strikings” with the Right Whales and yet the offshore wind energy developers apply for
the sanctioned “taking” of marine mammals, conceding that it will happen. If given a
waiver for a certain number of deaths, what is the plan if a project exceeds its authorized
“takings”? What official recording or documentation of “takings” is being mandated? Are
whales that wash up on beaches required to be documented before their burial? What
policy is being used to determine if the death was caused by an Offshore Wind project?
5. Commercial fishing is a major economic driver for Ocean City. Already a large
percentage of seafood consumed in the U.S. comes from overseas where food safety is
not as good as ours. Conceding our food production capabilities to other countries is a
potential homeland security risk. What is the plan to protect our commercial fishing
industry? Compensating them for reductions in harvesting or for not fishing at all is not a
suitable answer. Who and what organization determines if an offshore wind energy
company is at fault in order to assess compensation?
6. While a large degree of state money is being spent to preserve open space and
agricultural lands, what is the plan to afford similar protection to the oceans, preserving
natural habitat and feeding grounds, migratory patterns, and income-producing
occupations on the water?
7. Given the government investments into each industry and the inevitability of offshore
wind energy companies and commercial fishing being pitted against each other in
user conflicts, who and what organization determines which of the two has priority?
8. What protection do we have from the sale of an established offshore wind energy project
to a foreign entity not friendly to the United States? Has BOEM or the federal
government considered that sales should only be to a fully U.S.-owned and maintained
company?
9. Due to known interference with RADAR signals, what is the policy to prevent
“terrorist” vessels from using the turbines as a screen to approach our beaches?
10. How do we plan to minimize the effect on Search-and-Rescue missions or military
exercises?
11. Are horseshoe crab breeding grounds being protected from the intrusion of offshore wind
energy turbines?
12. What protections are being designed on underground cables to prevent impacts from
EMPs (electromagnetic pulses) and from unearthing as happened in Block Island? Who
monitors these cables? What studies have been done on the effects of EMP on different
species?”
