A dozen New Jersey mayors penned a letter to federal and state officers this week, urging them to implement a direct moratorium on offshore wind improvement following the newest in a string of whale deaths.
The mayors requested that offshore wind improvement is paused till a “thorough investigation” is carried out by federal and state companies and proves that wind turbine infrastructure is just not liable for the surplus whale deaths alongside the East Coast, in response to the letter obtained by Fox Information Digital.
On Monday, a big useless humpback whale was discovered washed up on a seashore in Nassau County, New York.
“Whereas we aren’t opposed to wash vitality, we’re involved concerning the impacts these (offshore wind) tasks could already be having on the environment,” the 12 mayors wrote within the letter Monday. “We urge you to take motion now to forestall future deaths.”
The humpback whale found earlier this week marked the tenth such whale discovered beached throughout 4 East Coast states since December, in response to federal officers. 5 of the whales have been discovered on New Jersey seashores and a handful have been present in New York.
UPTICK IN DEAD WHALES ALONG EAST COAST SPARKS INTENSE DEBATE AMONG ENVIRONMENTALISTS OVER OFFSHORE WIND
A beached humpback whale that was discovered on Lengthy Island on Monday is pictured. (AP Photograph/Seth Wenig)
The uptick in useless whales has sparked a fiery debate amongst lawmakers and environmental teams over whether or not offshore wind improvement is in charge.
Republican New Jersey Reps. Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith and a coalition of native wildlife teams led by Clear Ocean Motion have known as for a moratorium on wind improvement in latest weeks.
“The unprecedented variety of whale stranding coincides with ongoing exercise from acoustic survey vessels for the event of offshore wind,” the 12 mayors added of their letter.
NJ CONGRESSMAN DEMANDS INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS ARE KILLING WHALES
The mayors who signed the letter symbolize Wildwood Crest, North Wildwood. Stone Harbor, Linwood, Brigantine, Lengthy Seashore Township, Mantoloking, Bay Head, Level Nice Seashore, Spring Lake, Margate and Deal.
On Wednesday, Lengthy Seashore Township Mayor Joseph Mancini defined that he had signed the letter as a result of there had been inadequate environmental analyses carried out finding out the impression of offshore wind improvement on marine wildlife. He famous a report from Save Lengthy Seashore Island, an area group against offshore wind, that confirmed at the least six vessels have been working off the coast of New Jersey as of Jan. 23, conducting geotechnical surveys that would disrupt whales.
“There have been no environmental impression research and we really feel this undertaking ought to be stopped till such research have been accomplished,” Mancini stated.
A wind farm is pictured off the coast from Montauk, New York, on April 16, 2021. (Mark Harrington/Newsday RM by way of Getty Photos)
On Jan. 18, federal officers with the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Bureau of Ocean Power Administration (BOEM) held a press briefing throughout which they downplayed the impression of offshore wind on whales. The officers stated they have been finding out the reason for deaths for the whales just lately found, however that no whale mortality has been attributed to offshore wind actions but.
“NOAA Fisheries is devoted to minimizing dangers to protected assets, habitats, and managed fisheries all through the life cycle of offshore wind vitality tasks,” NOAA spokesperson Lauren Gaches informed reporters.
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The Biden administration and East Coast states like New Jersey proceed to push for aggressive clear vitality improvement together with offshore wind tasks as a part of their local weather agenda.
In July, President Biden argued that offshore wind would create jobs and energy thousands and thousands of houses sooner or later. And the Division of Inside has expanded plans for offshore lease gross sales for wind improvement alongside the nation’s jap and western coastlines and within the Gulf of Mexico.
There are at the moment 4 offshore wind tasks in federal waters off the coast of New Jersey and one other three tasks being constructed off the coast of New York in federal waters, in response to BOEM.
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