Category Archives: Offshore Wind/Industrialization
Black Point Fish Trap to close due to windmill farm cable installation
The largest and oldest fish trap in Rhode Island will be closed due to the installation of the undersea transmission cable that will connect the Block Island Wind Farm to the mainland. Rich Fuka, the President of the R.I. Fishermen’s Alliance, returned a phone call from The Block Island Times, confirming the fish trap “will have to suspend operations, which is a very big deal for Rhode Island. It’s our state’s oldest fishery.” Fuka said it was also the largest. The fish trap is located at the mouth of the west passage of Narragansett Bay. The fish trap cannot be moved, both Fuka and Mastrati acknowledged. The fish trap is not a fishery, but rather the location where the floating fish traps are used. Read the rest here 18:20
Sounds of ships and windfarms ‘may alter marine ecosystem’
Underwater sound linked to human activity could alter the behaviour of seabed creatures which play a vital role in marine ecosystems, according to new research. The study found exposure to sounds that resemble shipping traffic and offshore construction results in behavioural responses in certain invertebrate species which live in the marine sediment. These species make a crucial contribution to the seabed ecosystem as their burrowing and bioirrigation activities (how much the organism moves water in and out of the sediment by its actions) are vital in nutrient recycling and carbon storage. Read the rest here 09:54
Offshore Wind Spin in Morro Bay – trawling and netting would be off limits
At a public forum Thursday in Morro Bay, residents grilled officials from a Seattle-based wind-energy company on how their proposal to install 100 windmills off the coast might affect fishing, views and the environment. Officials with Trident Winds (UK) sought to put the audience of about 100 people at ease, saying the structures would have minimal impacts while supplying renewable energy for up to 300,000 California households. Read the article here 09:03
Study: Offshore wind’s impacts on fisheries unclear; federal report calls for more research
Advocates for regional fishing industries and marine life are concerned about the impacts of offshore wind turbines as deep-pocketed, experienced developers eye construction in ocean waters south of Martha’s Vineyard. The offshore wind industry has been touted as a key piece of New Bedford’s economic future, but advocates’ concerns are reflected in a federal report that says little is known about how turbines could affect fish populations. State Rep. Patricia Haddad, D-Somerset, is sponsoring energy legislation that includes intended to boost turbine development. Read the article here 17:27
Three offshore wind companies – The Ghost of Cape Wind
The three offshore wind companies seeking to build large-scale turbine projects on ocean waters south of Martha’s Vineyard said emphatically Friday that financing their projects wouldn’t be a problem, should the state give legislative support in a potential energy bill next spring. “Of all the challenges that we think about…financing projects is not one of them,” said Deepwater Wind CEO Jeff Grybowski, whose company is backed by an entity of the D.E. Shaw Group, a global investment and technology development firm. Read the rest here 14:03
Gov. Cuomo Sinks Proposed Gas Terminal Off Long Island
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has rejected a proposal to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in the waters off New York and New Jersey, effectively killing the project amid an outcry from residents of some coastal communities that it could endanger the environment and be a target for terrorists. The deep-water docking station known as Port Ambrose was to be built 19 miles off Jones Beach on Long Island and 29 miles off Long Brach, New Jersey. Liberty Natural Gas LLC, the company vying to develop Port Ambrose, said the port would allow it to inject natural gas into the New York-area pipeline,,, Read the rest here 17:55
Fishermen’s Energy Loses Bid for Wind Farm Leases Off LBI
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held an offshore land lease sale for the purposes of developing future wind farms on Monday, Nov. 9. Although a locally held company, Fishermen’s Energy, participated in the auction, it lost out to two other concerns. The proposed areas for wind farms off Long Island would also affect the squid fishery and mackerel catches, Mayor Kirk Larson said. “It’s not just scallops. It could affect who knows how many fisheries.” Read the rest here 09:51
California’s first offshore wind farm proposed near Morro Bay
This sleepy coastal town of 10,000 people along California’s Central Coast is known for its fishing fleet, nearby Hearst Castle and Morro Rock, a craggy 581-foot-tall monolith that dominates the views to the ocean. But a few years from now, Morro Bay may be known for something else: a huge offshore wind farm. “They want an area where a lot of guys fish,” said Tom Hafer, president of the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen’s Organization. “We’re willing to work with her on it, but we have some problems with it. We have a lot of areas already taken away. I don’t know how much more we can lose. We’re worried.” Read the rest here 09:35
Fishing vs. offshore energy: A fight for the ocean’s future
Fishermen are looking keep their grounds through Pacific County’s new shoreline buffers. The Shoreline Management Program (SMP) limits development to protect water quality, habitat and coastal functions. For years, local agencies have worked to rewrite the program to match new state guidelines.,, Out of the state’s remaining 38 miles of coast open for fishing and development, roughly 32 of those miles border Pacific County. The limited space has caused fishermen to worry that offshore development will cut them off from the catch. Read the rest here 15:20
Penny Rich: Dangerous drilling
Last month, the Orange County Board of Commissioners told Gov. Pat McCrory and President Obama that we oppose offshore oil and gas exploration, drilling activities and seismic blast activities off the coast of . We are not alone. About 80 municipalities along the East Coast have opposed these activities, including 70 percent of the coastal communities in North Carolina. In addition, 92 members of Congress, roughly 500 local and state officials, more than 300 businesses and several fishing interest groups have weighed in with opposition. Read the rest here 19:55
Navitus Bay Wind Park – The Community Wins.
N.J.’s push for offshore wind farms loses steam
A few years ago, New Jersey’s political leaders laid out a vision: acres of giant wind turbines, rising like a modern flotilla in the Atlantic, their white blades spun by ocean gusts, generating clean renewable energy just beyond the horizon at the Jersey Shore. and other state policymakers set ambitious goals to develop New Jersey’s huge potential as a leader in offshore wind energy. But due to a combination of factors, New Jersey’s bid to become a trailblazer in offshore wind energy appears to have stalled. Read the rest here 12:31
Deepwater Wind Opponents of RI Wind Farm Head to Court
The first off-shore wind farm in the United States will have Rhode Islanders footing the bill at $497 million above market cost, taxpayers claim in Federal Court. The Aug. 14 lawsuit comes less than a month after Deepwater Wind touted the installation of its first foundation component for the Block Island Wind Farm. With construction “now imminent,” plaintiffs Benjamin Riggs and Laurence Ehrhardt say a federal judge must enjoin Deepwater’s power-purchase agreement with Narragansett Electric Co., more commonly known as National Grid. Read the rest here 14:09
Seismic surveying is non-threatening says President International Association of Geophysical Contractors Nikki Martin
Recent months have brought much discussion and debate about the effects of seismic surveying along the Atlantic Coast as the federal government has approved consideration of permits for seismic operations. Numerous allegations from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) assert that seismic surveys are harmful to marine life and threaten fishing and tourism. These allegations are simply false. Read the rest here 19:50
Barge accident dents wind farm foundation off Rhode Island
First, it was the weather. Rough seas forced the Providence company to push back until last Sunday the installation of the first steel foundation for the five-turbine wind farm off Block Island. Now, Deepwater is dealing with a construction mishap. Earlier this week, one of the barges being used in the project hit the latticework “jacket” foundation that had been placed in the water and dented one of its four hollow, tubular legs.,, a previously-scheduled boat tour on Monday of the project site for U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Gov. Raimondo and other elected leaders and state officials to marvel this engineering feat! Read the rest here 09:45
Oil Thirsty N.C. Division of Coastal Management approves seismic surveys off the coast
Seismic surveys are used to search for oil and natural gas deposits for offshore drilling. The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the department that contains the DCM, held a public hearing in April at the Crystal Coast Civic Center on all four companies’ proposals. Most of the 19 speakers at the hearing were opposed to the surveys. These speakers – which included environmentalists, marine scientists and coastal residents,,, Read the rest here 16:24
Cape Wind Project: A Tale of Crony Environmentalism (Part 2) Did Mass Audubon Sell its Soul to the Wind Industry?
As an environmentalist and bird lover, it gives me no pleasure to criticize the largest conservation organization in New England; an organization of which I am a member. Personal conflict aside, it seems apparent that Massachusetts Audubon Society’s support for a massive industrial project threatens thousands of birds a year.,, Case in point: Cape Wind poses a serious threat to marine mammals, yet is one of their biggest cheerleaders. Cape Wind Project: A Tale of Crony Environmentalism Read part 1 here, Read part 2 here 15:51
Have wind turbines ruined Britain’s prized lobster haul?
This area of the North Sea is by far the UK’s most prolific lobster ground. Before the boats were barred from entering it, in mid-2013, to allow for the construction of a 35-turbine windfarm, it provided more than 15% of the 3,500 tonnes of lobster taken from UK waters every year. Landed at Bridlington, and the smaller the lobsters – and a large quantity of crabs and whelks – are mostly exported and are highly prized in France, Spain and Portugal. Read the rest here 18:08
Andrzejczak & Mazzeo Introduce Measure Opposing Offshore Drilling – no benefit to New Jersey from offshore drilling in the Atlantic
Assemblymen Vince Mazzeo and Bob Andrzejczak have introduced legislation opposing a proposal to open portions of Atlantic Coast for oil and natural gas drilling.“Offshore drilling threatens the economy and the environment of New Jersey and other coastal states,” said Mazzeo (D-Atlantic). “Consider that New Jersey’s 127-mile coast supports a tourism industry worth more than $36 billion, or 7 percent of the state’s entire economy, and generates recreational and commercial fishing revenues of $2 billion annually. Read the rest here 07:34
Feds receive thousands of comments on Atlantic drilling
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The federal government has received thousands of comments on the contentious issue of drilling for oil and gas off the Atlantic coast. The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is seeking comment on what should be included in an environmental impact statement on offshore drilling which for the first time could include Atlantic drilling. The agency in recent weeks held a series of public meetings along the coast. The deadline for comments is Monday night. Read the rest here 12:52
North/South Carolina Views vary on drilling – Feds take comments until Monday
The Associated Press reports five congressmen representing coastal districts in the Carolinas reflect the opposing views in states where both governors are strong advocates of offshore drilling and almost 20 coastal communities oppose the idea. To date, seven coastal communities in South Carolina and 12 in North Carolina are on record against drilling. None are in Carteret County. Read the rest here 09:33
Wind farms are making the North Sea one of the world’s most overcrowded bodies of water
The report noted that the installation of cables, pipelines, and other energy-related structures can impact marine life. Dolphins, it said, “can be seriously affected by the noise of pile driving new structures into the seabed.” Ships have to navigate around turbines and oil platforms. Cables can present problems for fishermen. And the precious waters already are becoming degraded. The report cites a study in which 98% of Norwegian seabirds were found to have plastic particles in their stomachs. Read the rest here 11:54
Why are the Green Energy Projects pushed by the Enviro’s, kill wildlife and fish, Destroy Bio Diversity, and it’s acceptable to them?
The Green Energy projects that the enviro’s push, wind farms that chop up bird’s, and are sited in the paths of migratory species, tidal power projects that close off entire bay’s, and install turbines that chop up fish. These same groups ride herd over fishermen, and cry about by catch, degrade working people, calling them careless, and greedy, and then have the audacity to allow and support this destruction? All the while, they lobby OUR representatives, fill them with agenda driven BS, and they then have the nerve to show up for photo op’s, smiling, and claiming they are here to help fishermen. Help them out of business? 16:02
Federal Offshore Leasing: Another ‘No’ For Energy – Robert Bradley Jr.
Is the Department of the Interior’s new offshore energy proposal a long-needed step toward unlocking the public domain’s vast oil and gas resources? After all, the five-year plan would authorize 14 leases for oil and gas development, mostly off of the Southeast Atlantic and Gulf coasts, which led to fussing from the Don’t Drill, Baby, Don’t Drill lobby. Read the rest here 19:52
PALLONE: Block offshore drilling plan for Atlantic
Today our coast faces a number of environmental threats, but the good news is that there is still time to stop proposals for man-made environmental disasters. We have done it before, and we can do it again. Five years ago, the Obama administration released a plan that proposed drilling off the Atlantic coast from Delaware to Florida. Read the rest here 11:30
BOEM plans on industrializing 300,000 acres of ocean bottom off North Carolina Coast
As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to create American jobs, develop domestic clean energy resources and cut carbon pollution, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Hopper today announced the release of an Environmental Assessment (EA) supporting a potential lease sale for more than 300,000 acres of federal waters off the coast of North Carolina for wind energy development. Read the rest here 20:22
Opposition To Proposed Offshore Natural Gas Project 28 miles off the north Jersey coast.
Senator Jennifer Beck opposes the project Liberty Natural Gas wants to build to import liquefied natural gas. “This facility holds no value for New Jersey. We don’t benefit by its construction, and it poses serious detriment to our waterways and to our beachfronts.” This facility is right next to shipping lanes. It’s in areas of important fisheries. Read the rest here 22:23
Cape Wind project is dealt a major setback. NSTAR Pulls the Plug!
NSTAR, a Northeast Utilities subsidiary, informed Cape Wind officials of its decision late Tuesday, officials said. “Unfortunately, Cape Wind has 
,” Northeast Utilities spokeswoman Caroline Pretyman said in an email. “Additionally, Cape Wind has chosen not to exercise their right to post financial security in order to extend the contract deadlines. Therefore the contract is now terminated.” Read the rest here 20:38
N.S. activist: Shell cleanup plan includes toxic product
Shell Canada’s cleanup plan in case of a major oil spill off the coast of Nova Scotia could end up making the problem worse, a Shelburne County environmentalist says. John Davis, co-founder of the No Rig coalition, has concerns about the potential use of chemical dispersants by the Calgary company, a subsidiary of the British-Dutch energy giant. Shell plans to drill its first exploratory well in the Shelburne Basin, about 350 kilometres south of Halifax, later this year. Read the rest here 12:28
BP oil spill dispersants concern Nova Scotia Anti Drilling Group
“When you mix this stuff with the oil, you create a compound that is substantially more dangerous than even the dangerous dispersant on its own or even the dangerous oil on its own and this is the issue that we have,” says John Davis, a founder of the No Rigs Coalition. He says Shell has already put out bids to use Corexit if there is a spill at a well planned for the Shelburne Gully. Davis says he worries the chemical could end up on the Georges Bank, pointing out the Labrador Current would carry any material right to the fertile fishing grounds. Read the rest here 09:20
