Category Archives: New England
Vineyard Wind crisis: Fishermen blast feds for saying they don’t care about whales
The claim came during a Thursday hearing in Boston federal appeals court as two fishing groups look to toss Vineyard Wind’s underlying permit, arguing regulators failed to analyze how the project would impact the environment and fishermen. “The alliance, as a trade association representing the fishing industry, does not have any interest in protecting right whales,” said attorney Thekla Hansen-Young, representing the Department of the Interior, the National Marine Fisheries Service, among other federal agencies, in the dispute. Hansen-Young was referring to the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance, one of the groups fighting the feds and Vineyard Wind. Seafreeze Shoreside Inc. is the other. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:06
Fishermen Join Lawsuit Against Vineyard Wind After Blade Failure
The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) has called for the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider the dismissal of a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior regarding the safety of Vineyard Wind’s turbines. The case, RODA v. Department of the Interior, is scheduled for oral arguments on Thursday. Jerry Leeman, CEO of NEFSA, highlighted recent issues related to the Vineyard Wind project, particularly a blade malfunction that resulted in debris being scattered across important fishing areas. “The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) put the government on notice over two years ago that Vineyard Wind’s turbines aren’t safe. The recent blade disaster has scattered debris over a huge swath of historic fishing grounds, creating serious hazards for mariners and marine life,” Leeman stated. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:59
Bill to Support Maine’s Lobster Industry Clears Appropriations Committee
U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced significant funding and key language to support Maine’s lobster industry in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill. The bill, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House. “This funding would support Maine’s lobster industry by improving the incomplete and imprecise science and research upon which the federal government relies. The flawed and incomplete data being used to inform regulations has created unnecessary, burdensome requirements for Maine lobstermen and women,” said Senator Collins. “As the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 05:57
Unalaska, Aleutians East Borough oppose Rep. Peltola’s proposed trawling limitations
Communities in the Aleutians are pushing back against proposed legislation that would bring stricter regulations to the Bering Sea trawl fishery. The City of Unalaska and the Aleutians East Borough are among 53 organizations that signed onto a letter sent to U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, urging her to withdraw H.R. 8507, a bill she sponsored in May. The proposed legislation aims to add new regulations to where trawling can take place across the United States, not only in Alaska. Trade organizations and some coastal communities whose economies rely on trawl fisheries have pushed back against the bill, asking the congresswoman to repeal it. “If enacted, H.R. 8507 would directly harm fishermen and coastal communities in Alaska and throughout our nation, along with countless other people who rely on a healthy domestic seafood sector for food, jobs, and their way of life,” the letter said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:28
GE Vernova finds Manufacturing Defect after Vineyard Wind Turbine Accident
The company is facing scrutiny after a massive blade fell into the ocean July 13 at the project in Massachusetts, stopping construction at the nation’s biggest offshore wind farm. Strazik said there’s no sign of a design flaw in its Haliade-X offshore turbine, but it’s halting production at the Gaspe, Canada, plant while the company inspects its blades. “The blade left the factory with insufficient bonding — the glue,” Strazik said. The Gaspe plant in Quebec has been in production since 2006 and has made about 150 offshore blades, including most of the blades for the Vineyard Wind project that experienced the blade failure. Strazik declined to say how many offshore blades have been produced to date at the company’s three blade plants. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:07
BOEM Hears Mostly Opposition at a Meeting in Eastham
Local officials on the Outer Cape have for a month been calling for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to hold a public information session here about one of eight proposed wind energy areas in the Gulf of Maine — the one sited about 20 miles off Cape Cod’s back shore — before its size and shape are approved. BOEM, the agency of the Dept. of Interior that is charged with managing the development of offshore wind, finally did that on June 17, and some 200 people turned out at the Four Points by Sheraton for it. BOEM announced the meeting only six days before it was held. Statements about possible negative effects of the development on commercial fishing dominated the meeting. Many of those who spoke identified themselves as fishermen or the wives of fishermen and said that they feared their livelihoods would be lost because of the construction of wind turbines. Truro lobsterman Dana Pazolt said he believes the cables would serve as a barrier to lobster migration. “You run the wires across the seabed, our industry is dead,” he said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:43
Golden introduces amendment to block gauge increase for Maine lobstermen
Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today introduced a bipartisan amendment to block for one year a proposed gauge increase in the Gulf of Maine by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). Golden submitted his amendment for consideration in the Fiscal Year 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) cosponsored the amendment. “Gauge increases are a significant change that must be informed by the best possible science, and both Maine lobstermen and the fishery itself lose when Canada isn’t held to the same standards.” Golden said. “It’s clear that regulators need to work much closer with fishermen to keep the industry sustainable and competitive.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:08
Video: Breaching whale capsizes boat and sends two people flying into the water
Video captured the remarkable moment a whale leapt onto a fishing boat, capsizing it and flinging two people into the water. The incident happened off the coast of New Hampshire, on the north-east coast of the US, on Tuesday. Video captured by Colin Yager, who was in a nearby boat with his brother, shows the huge creature partially leaving the water before crashing down onto the rear of a fishing vessel, flipping it over and sending its two occupants into the Atlantic Ocean. The whale – believed to be a humpback – did not appear to be injured, reported the boat crew from Station Portsmouth, and the boat was salvaged. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:48
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 44′ Fiberglass Scalloper with NGOM Scallop Permit
To review specifications, information, and 21 photos’, >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 06:43
The Offshore Wind Energy Scandal Is Even Worse Than You Think
These 11 charts show how America’s biggest NGOs are colluding with foreign corporations that want to industrialize our oceans with thousands of turbines that will hurt whales and ratepayers Two of Europe’s biggest energy companies are abandoning the SS Offshore Wind. In May, Shell, the UK-based oil and gas giant (2023 revenue: $317 billion), announced that it was cutting staff from its offshore wind business because, according to Bloomberg, the company has decided to focus on markets that “deliver the most value for our investors and customers.” Bloomberg also reported that the staff cuts were made after the departures of top executives in the company’s offshore wind and renewable power businesses. Lots of informative grafs. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:29
Aquinnah tribe calls for moratorium on offshore wind development
In the aftermath of a broken turbine blade off the Vineyard’s coast, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) is calling for a moratorium on all offshore wind development in the United States until further research can be done on the impact of wind farm construction. Aquinnah Wampanoag chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais expressed “strong concerns and outrage” over the fractured Vineyard Wind turbine blade and the debris that washed ashore on Nantucket in a letter to Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement director Kevin M. Sligh, Sr. Andrews-Maltais, in a July 18 letter, said the foam and fiberglass debris have “potential negative and adverse impact[s]” on the environment, marine life, and human health. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:19
LBI offshore wind critics sound alarm after Massachusetts turbine breaks
A Long Beach Island-based group critical of offshore wind development is calling for a moratorium on additional New Jersey’s wind projects following the failure of a turbine off the coast of Massachusetts this month. “Save LBI” called for the moratorium from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on Monday, citing the impacts from a broken turbine at the Vineyard Wind project off Martha’s Vineyard. After a blade broke off the turbine, beaches in the region were littered with debris and shards of fiberglass. “The incident is a stark reminder of the many potential disasters offshore wind turbines can pose to the shore and the marine environment and adds to the concerns already raised regarding turbine visibility, reduced breeze, and airborne noise,” Save LBI president and founder Bob Stern said in a release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:28
Harpswell adopts ‘right to fish’
Harpswell has a new right-to-fish policy intended to protect the town’s working waterfronts and fishermen. “We have a sign when you come into town saying we’re a working waterfront community. We’re pushing the town to do more than just a sign,” Cundy’s Harbor fisherman Matt Gilley, who helped develop the policy, told the Anchor before the meeting. The Harpswell Select Board approved the policy unanimously on July 11, but not before some tense exchanges between board members and advocates. The policy commits the town to several actions. Speaking to the Anchor, Gilley emphasized a provision protecting fishermen from nuisance complaints about sights, sounds or smells that might result from fishing activities, like operating boat engines or storing fishing traps on private property. Maine law already prevents such complaints against fishermen who are operating in line with applicable laws or rules. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:38
New wind turbine blade debris discovered Sunday off Mass. coast, company says
The discovery comes just days after the remaining piece of blade from a damaged offshore wind turbine fell into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday. Vineyard Wind said on Saturday that it was sending additional resources to Nantucket and surrounding coastal communities after the remaining piece of blade from a damaged offshore wind turbine fell into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday. “Members of the public should avoid handling debris as the fiber-glass pieces can be sharp and lead to cuts if handled without proper gloves,” the company said. “Vineyard Wind is working to bag, track and transport all debris off the island and to proper storage as soon as possible. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:27
Humboldt County Officials Respond to Recent Turbine Blade Collapse at East Coast Vineyard Wind Farm
Operations were suspended this week at Vineyard Wind 1, an offshore wind farm located about 35 miles off the coast of mainland Massachusetts, after a damaged wind turbine blade broke apart and fell into the ocean. The cause of the incident remains unknown. Project developer Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, is an affiliate of Vineyard Offshore, the company planning to build a floating offshore wind farm here on the North Coast. In a statement issued Monday, Vineyard officials noted that the project is still in its commissioning phase and offered reassurance that the company has “detailed plans to guide its response” to such incidents. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:37
History’s mystery: Lobsterman discovers 150-year-old anchor
One Stonington lobsterman has made an epic discovery that is benefitting his community. When lobster fisherman Mike Billings set out to check his traps July 8th, everything was business as usual until something caught his eye. “I noticed I had a buoy just barely kegging, usually there’s two buoys, a buoy and a toggle. So I went over and I pulled on it and I pulled up on it and when I did, it was heavy but when I let go, it pulled back and literally felt like something was pulling on it,” Billings describes. Securing the foreign object with ropes, Billings hauled it alongside his boat until it slowly revealed itself as an anchor! Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:55
Nantucket Select Board to pursue litigation against Vineyard Wind in wake of blade failure
Amid the Vineyard Wind crisis rattling the island, the Nantucket Select Board is set to pursue litigation against the wind energy company in connection to the blade failure that has resulted in debris floating on the ocean and washing ashore. The Select Board is scheduled to meet in executive session on Tuesday to discuss the path forward relative to recovery costs associated with the disaster, according to an agenda posted on the town website Friday. Select Board members will convene in a public session on Wednesday evening with a follow-up on the Vineyard Wind 1 blade failure and an update on the cleanup slated to be part of the town manager’s report. This all comes as the blade failure, which popped up last Saturday about 21 miles south of Nantucket, continues to wreak havoc on the island. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:37
CMP Parent Company’s Offshore Wind Turbine Creates Environmental Disaster Off New England Coast
An offshore wind turbine project operated by Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners broke apart this week, scattering debris throughout Massachusetts’ coastal waters, with much of the flotsam washing up on Nantucket beaches. Since the turbine experienced a catastrophic malfunction — for reasons that are not yet clear — social media has been inundated with pictures and videos of beachgoers and government employees picking up trash bags and dumpsters full of debris. The turbine in question is owned by Vineyard Wind US, a joint project of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners of Denmark and Avangrid, the parent company of Central Maine Power (CMP). The turbine itself was manufactured by GE Vernova, which has experienced similar failures in the past with their offshore wind projects. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:53
‘Bunch Of Suits Trying To Cover Their Tracks’: Beach Town Locals Slam Offshore Wind Developer For Polluting Shores
Local lobsterman Dan Pronk lamented the effects the debris has had on his business and the environment during the town hall meeting while holding a piece of fiberglass that had washed up on the beach, while also addressing Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller personally, according to another video posted on X by the Nantucket Current. “I fish 800 lobster traps right where you’re putting these tombstones, which is also the end of my business… When you apply [fiberglass]… you have to wear respirators. For what reason? Because it’s toxic. If you breathe those fumes… you’ll get higher than a rat,” he continued. “So, it is toxic. What do you have to say about that, Klaus?” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:37
Vineyard Wind Turbine Failure: Incident Details, Regulatory Response, and Industry Implications
On July 13, 2024, an offshore wind turbine at the Vineyard Wind 1 project experienced a significant blade failure, leading to debris washing up on Nantucket’s beaches and prompting a federal shutdown of the wind farm. This incident raises obvious questions about the safety and reliability of offshore wind projects, as well as the regulatory framework governing this emerging industry. In the days following the incident, debris from the broken turbine blade began washing up on Nantucket’s south shore beaches. Residents reported finding pieces of green and white foam, along with larger pieces of fiberglass, stretching from Madaket to Nobadeer. In response to the incident, the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) ordered Vineyard Wind to shut down operations “until further notice”. The BSEE, which oversees offshore energy projects, sent a team of experts to work closely with Vineyard Wind on analyzing the cause of the incident and determining next steps. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:22
Broken Offshore Wind Blade Debris Washes Up in Nantucket
Investigators are probing the cause of a damaged offshore wind turbine blade that sent debris washing ashore at Nantucket Beach and shut down swimming in the area. The incident occurred Saturday evening at the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project under construction near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, prompting the probe by federal officials, developers Avangrid Inc. and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P/S, and GE Vernova Inc., which manufactured the Haliade-X turbines used at the site. Operations at the site have been suspended while investigations are underway, and authorities closed Nantucket’s south shore to swimming for three days. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:46
Athearn Marine Agency Boat of the Week: 78′ Steel Shrimp Trawler, Caterpillar 3412TA Diesel
To review specifications, information, and 18 photos’, >click here< To see all the boats in this series, >click here< 07:12
UPDATED: ‘Three large blade pieces.’ Vineyard Wind wind turbine blade snaps. Search underway
A blade on one of the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore turbines was damaged over the weekend, prompting an investigation by the blade’s manufacturer. In a statement released Monday afternoon, the offshore wind developer referred only to “an incident involving blade damage on a wind turbine” in the offshore energy area south of Martha’s Vineyard. According to the company, the undisclosed damage happened on Saturday evening. No employees, contractors or fishing vessels were in the vicinity of the turbine at the time. No details were given as to the nature of the damage, how long the blade has been in place, or whether it was on an already operating turbine or one under construction. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:45
Perry’s Lobster Shack fully reopen after recovery from storm damage
Perry’s Lobster Shack, an iconic coastal restaurant in Surry, has transformed since damage was done in March 2024 after intense storms. “When people think of Surry, I want them to think of Perry’s Lobster Shack,” said Seth Cote, the owner of Perry’s Lobster Company. After keeping his family legacy thriving, the storms put things on halt, and Cote didn’t know what was in store for the future after the wharf was completely wiped out. However, progress has been made. After keeping his family legacy thriving, the storms put things on halt, and Cote didn’t know what was in store for the future after the wharf was completely wiped out. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:24
We’re not ‘sinister’: Menhaden fish processers want lawsuit dismissed
As it said it would, Cooke Inc. has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed in a federal district court that claims the seafood company is defrauding the U.S. in the operation of the last East Coast menhaden processing facility. Known colloquially as pogies and bunker, menhaden fish kills have occasionally caused a stink at the Jersey Shore. The Canadian-based outfit said in its motion to dismiss that the two private citizens who brought the case against them are trying to make them appear “sinister.” “From the moment we became aware of this case, we have been eager to show that the allegations are inaccurate. Our legal filing underscores several key misstatements from the complaint and offers concrete evidence that they are false,” Cooke Inc. said in a prepared statement to the press. “We look forward to the court process and further opportunities to prove that the allegations are baseless.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:42
Professor Makes Stunning Discovery: ‘Absolutely, 100 percent, Offshore Wind Kills Whales’
For the best part of half a century, a 41-foot humpback whale named Luna swam up and down the East Coast. Then on Jan. 30, 2023, Luna washed up dead on Long Island, New York. He was the tenth whale to strand on beaches in New York and New Jersey in nine weeks. Environmentalists, politicians, and ordinary citizens loudly wondered if the construction of offshore wind turbines was killing them. Apostolos Gerasoulis, a Rutgers professor emeritus of computer science who co-created the search engine that powers Ask.com, now says the answer is yes. ‘Absolutely, 100 percent, offshore wind kills whales,’ he says. But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is responsible for protecting marine animals and their habitats insists there is no connection. Charts, graphs, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:48
Coast Guard to remove Maine fishing boat that sank in January storm
According to a memo from Harpswell Harbor Master Paul Plummer dated July 9, the owner of the decades-old wooden fishing vessel, the Jacob Pike, “has made no attempt to recover the vessel and is currently involved in the judicial process for abandonment of watercraft.” “The [Coast Guard] and its contractors are hoping to have the vessel removed in the coming weeks but are currently waiting for the salvage plan to be finalized,” the memo states. The harbor master’s office will be present for the removal. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:40
The siting of an offshore wind port raises new conflicts in Maine
Ron Huber rifled through a thick folder full of decades of state environmental records outside a community hall in the tiny coastal Maine town of Searsport. For the longtime local conservation activist, the scene inside was a familiar one: Dozens of neighbors, workers, and environmentalists mingled over pizza and coffee, discussing the merits of a proposed industrial project that has potential to transform the local economy, but at the expense of a locally beloved natural area. “We’ve seen these things rise and fall many times,” Huber said outside the event late this past spring. Conservationists have celebrated over the decades as plans for a coal plant and a liquefied natural gas terminal on Sears Island came and went without success. This latest proposal presents a new kind of conflict. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:22
Durham commercial fisherman evaded taxes on $1.4 million in income, IRS says
A Durham man pleaded guilty Wednesday to evading taxes on $1.4 million in income he earned as a commercial fisherman, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Brian Kobus earned the income while working as a commercial fisherman and deckhand for fishing companies in Massachusetts, the IRS said in a news release. The income totaled more than $1.4 million from 2011 through 2013, and 2017 through 2021, according to the IRS. Korbus is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 16 and faces up to five years in prison, the IRS said. The IRS said he also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:42
Nantucket Group Fighting Vineyard Wind Will Take Case To U.S. Supreme Court
After its arguments against the Vineyard Wind project were rejected by a federal judge in April, the Nantucket group ACK 4 Whales will attempt to take its case to the U.S. Supreme Court. “There are no do-overs when the last whale is killed off,” said Val Oliver, president of ACK 4 Whales. “We will be seeking a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court to ask for the reversal of the First Circuit’s legal errors made in our case,” Oliver added. “We believe this is the first cert. petition being filed in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright to challenge offshore wind development..” After its arguments against the Vineyard Wind project were rejected by a federal judge in April, the Nantucket group ACK 4 Whales will attempt to take its case to the U.S. Supreme Court. more. >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:45
