Tag Archives: Ocean City
Ocean City Presses Fight Against Offshore Wind Farm
The city has intensified its criticism of plans by developer Orsted, a Danish energy company, to run a transmission line under Ocean City’s streets to connect the offshore wind turbines to the land-based power grid at the former B.L. England Generating Station in Marmora. Critics have assailed the project as an offshore “industrial park” that would harm the environment, marine life, the commercial fishing industry and the shore’s critical tourism industry. They also say the towering turbine blades would be a visual blight when viewed from shore. “It affects all of our livelihoods,” said Michael DeVlieger, a former Ocean City councilman who is an outspoken opponent of the wind farm. >click to read< 11:40
Ocean City not relenting in battle against offshore wind farm
Ocean City is not giving up its fight against a proposed offshore wind energy farm seeking state permission to run an underground transmission line through town to connect with the land-based power grid, Mayor Jay Gillian told local residents Saturday. “We still have a long way to go with this,” City Council President Bob Barr said he is beginning to sense that the project’s developer, the Danish energy company Orsted, may be growing concerned about the money it will ultimately have to spend to build the wind farm. “Right now, they’re burning through money like it’s nobody’s business,” Barr said of Orsted. “Eventually, they’re going to have to fish or cut bait on this.” Barr also said that Orsted does not want to have to spend a lot of time bringing the project online. He suggested that the longer Orsted has to wait, the more it may have second thoughts about developing the project. > click to read < 13:27
Offshore wind farm company, Ocean City fishermen at odds again
At question now is whether US Wind went back on its agreement with conch fishermen. “We told US Wind in January that we needed their ‘Area D’ (survey area) to be able to go conching in April. Ben Cooper from US Wind assured us that it would be available the whole month of April for us,” said Ocean City fisherman Jimmy Hahn. “I spent $60,000 in conch bait to go conching this spring. On March 25, they sent us an email that says, ‘Oh, by the way we’re going to start a brand new survey (there). “They’ve got 24 square miles of bottom they could be surveying and I’ve got a little teeny tiny area where my pots are. They still wiped out six of the pots that I found,,, >click to read< 07:17
Offshore Wind: Nantucket project faces lawsuit that could impact Skipjack, U.S. Wind projects
Environmentalists are concerned about impact to sea mammals, such as whales and dolphins, The American Coalition for Ocean Protection has been created by the Caesar Rodney Institute to push back against offshore wind development, and they have joined the Vineyard Wind legal case as technical advisors. The case against Vineyard Wind could set a precedent for legal action to be taken locally, where Orsted and U.S. Wind have already secured OREC approvals to begin offshore wind development. The Vineyard Wind case claims there could be environmental harm to the threatened right whale from the project. A coalition in Cape Cod, Mass. the Nantucket Residents Against Turbines, in August filed a suit that calls for delay in the development of 2,000 wind turbines off Nantucket Island and Martha’s Vineyard. >click to read< 12:31
New Jersey: Offshore Wind Farm Project Generates Debate
An open house in Ocean City on Saturday to discuss the pros and cons of an offshore wind project, proposed for 15 miles off the South Jersey coast, evoked interest, concerns, questions, opposition and support. Concerns over how the project could affect tourism, the visual impact of the massive wind turbines offshore, and what it would do to marine life, migratory birds and the commercial fishing industry were raised by several speakers. photos, 3:25 minute video, >click to read< 12:01
OC residents worry offshore wind farm will destroy coastline without easing climate change
“When I first heard about it, in my imagination, it was just going to be one or two, similar to what they have off Block Island [in Rhode Island],” Hornick said. “And I thought, well, if it’s good for the earth and it’s going to be good for the environment, then we should think about doing it. And then I started to research it, and I found out that it’s not what it’s promised. And the magnitude of the project is such that I believe it will devastate our coastline.” The Biden administration has opened up the East Coast to massive commercial offshore wind farms, stretching from Massachusetts down to North Carolina,,, >click to read< 09:29
Ocean City Councilman Michael DeVlieger, Offshore Wind Farm Warrior, Resigns
City Council Vice President Michael DeVlieger stepped down Thursday night in an emotional farewell that included some hugs, tears and laughter with his colleagues during his last meeting on the seven-member governing body.,, Councilman Keith Hartzell, “No one fights harder than you in a cause,”,, “Early on, I have had the pleasure of being on the front lines when our community was hit by Super Storm Sandy. In the face of tragedy, I witnessed kindness and beauty,,,DeVlieger has been Council’s most outspoken opponent of wind energy offshore wind farm proposed 15 miles off the coast between Atlantic City and Stone Harbor. He has raised concerns about the wind farm’s possible negative impact on the coastal region’s environment, tourism industry and commercial fishing operations. >click to read< 10:23
A citizen writes: More discussion needed on offshore wind farm energy
Regarding the recent Press editorial, “State preempting local roadblocks to wind energy helps NJ, especially Ocean City”: The editorial is full of many of the misperceptions about the 100 planned (in the first phase),, seems to assume that everybody is for green energy, On a website, 10,980 people have signed a petition to stop this specific project. The Ocean City Council has done its homework. That is why they are pushing back on the state of New Jersey stripping them of their right to govern themselves in this matter. >click to read< by Ed Roland 19:07
Shellenberger Discusses Offshore Wind Farm Proposal – “This is literally the worst project I have ever seen,”
The California resident, author and environmental advocate spoke about how an offshore wind farm project planned 15 miles off the coast from Atlantic City to Stone Harbor is bad for the environment, wildlife, marine life and the fishing industry. Shellenberger, who is a proponent for nuclear energy, spoke of how the wind farm would not be an efficient way to receive power, would take up too much real estate and not be a consistent source of power. Tricia Conte, of Ocean City, founder of Save Our Shoreline, said in an interview prior to the program, “We are very excited to have Michael Shellenberger here in Ocean City. He is presenting the side that no one else is telling us.” Video >click to read<10:27
“They just took our democracy away, folks,” – Heroic Ocean City BLASTS Bill to Fast Track Offshore Wind Farm
City Council on Thursday night blasted state legislation that would speed up development of a proposed offshore wind energy farm as a blatant power grab that strips Ocean City and other local communities of New Jersey’s longstanding tradition of home rule. “Essentially, they’ve taken our right to home rule away from us,” said Councilman Michael DeVlieger, the governing body’s most outspoken critic of the wind farm project. In the latest salvo by Ocean City opposing the wind farm, Council voted 7-0 to approve a resolution that denounces state legislation that would make it easier for the Danish energy company Orsted to build the project off the South Jersey coast.,, “A foreign entity is driving the political machine,” >click to read< 19:34
Reader has concerns about offshore wind turbines
There are two large wind-turbine projects proposed off our beaches. The lease area extends from the inlet at Ocean City north to Rehoboth. US Wind (an Italian company), according to their website, plans to install as many as 187 wind turbines. Orsted (a Danish company) plans to initially install 12 wind turbines that are 845 feet tall, with more likely coming after that., The wind tower components will be manufactured overseas since we lack the infrastructure to do so. They will be installed by experienced European crews. Instead of the many thousands of jobs US Wind and Orsted claim will be created, there will only be about 55 permanent jobs,,, by Geoffrey Pohanka >click to read< 10:17
Huge crowd! 1,800+ People voice concerns at Ocean City offshore wind turbine meeting
On Saturday, hundreds of homeowners, residents, and Ocean City visitors packed into the Ocean City Convention Center to make their voices heard about 800-foot offshore wind turbines potentially being built along the resort town’s shoreline.,, The turbines , which would be installed by two companies, U.S. Wind and Orsted, would bring renewable energy to the resort town. But that’s a cost that some aren’t willing to pay. >click to read< Ocean City offshore wind: what you need to know from public hearing – >click to read< Huge crowd has their say over wind farms off Maryland and Delaware – >click to read< 12:41
Offshore Wind Farm’s Meteorological Tower To Be Constructed Next Month; Officials Express Concerns At Public Hearing
A 300-foot-plus meteorological tower will be installed about 17 miles off the coast of Ocean City next month in advance of the US Wind offshore wind farm project.,,,“It was a public hearing, but there weren’t a lot of people there because I don’t think there was a lot of notice about it,” he said. “There were some commercial fishermen there and they’re very concerned about the pounding of the pilings. “The commercial fishermen that fish for conch and lobsters and clams etc. are very concerned about losing equipment,” he said. “They are also concerned about the construction and noise scaring off fish and scaring their catch away. That was very evident during that meeting.” >click to read<15:42
Offshore Wind Projects’ Impact on Fishing Grounds off the Ocean City Coast Discussed – July 18, 2018, After hearing a strong presentation from a noted expert on the impacts of wind farms on commercial fishing, the Mayor and Council seem inclined to strengthen opposition to the wind farms off the resort coast in general.,, Monday’s presentation was spearheaded by Meghan Lapp, who is the fisheries liaison for Seafreeze Ltd., >click to read<
Offshore wind topic blows back onto Ocean City agenda
Offshore wind farms near Ocean City’s coast will again come up for discussion at Monday’s Town Council meeting. Meghan Lapp, a fisheries liaison for Seabreeze Seafreeze Ltd. in Rhode Island, will outline concerns with how wind farms may affect commercial fishing, according to the agenda document. The presentation will also feature local fisherman George Topping. The addition of wind farms could restrict fishing areas, according to the presentation outline in the agenda documents. Deepwater Wind and US Wind received approval in 2017 to construct two wind turbine projects off of Ocean City. >click to read<09:56
Stuck again, fish on board
There have been meetings, there have been talks, there have been “action items” and there has been dredging, but boats are still running aground in the state’s only ocean port, and the commercial fishermen have had just about enough. “We’ve been battling this for five years, I just don’t know what to do,” said Mike Coppa of the fishing vessel Instigator. “What happened [on Friday] was a crock of crap. We’re told they have to study this, they have to study that, but in the meantime, the boat has to get from point A to point B.” >click here to read< 08:05
For the last two years, the most dramatic moments of the White Marlin Open have been on dry land
Phil Heasley caught the fish of his life, but the $2.8 million in tournament prize money got away. Heasley reeled in a 6-foot (1.8 meter) white marlin last year off Maryland’s coast. But in a sign of how concerned some big money tournaments are about cheating, officials made him and his crew take lie detector tests. The officials said all four men failed. Heasley is now in a protracted court battle over the winnings and his crew’s reputation, pitting their integrity against that of one of the world’s most lucrative angling contests. click here to read the story 13:42
43rd Annual East Coast Commercial Fishermen’s and Aquaculture Trade Fishermen’s Expo is Jan. 15
The Maryland Watermen’s Association will host its 43rd annual East Coast Commercial Fishermen’s and Aquaculture Trade Expo at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City this weekend. It’s the only event of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The weekend will be full of seminars, fisherman gear, equipment and more. Friday, the event will begin at 11 a.m. and run until 5 p.m., Saturday the event will run from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Tradeshow pre-registration tickets can be found online for $25 and tickets to the Friday cocktail party can be found online, as well, for $35. Seminars will begin on Saturday at 11 a.m. and run every half hour with Don Webster of the University of Maryland Extension moderating. More info, Read the story here 12:29 Maryland Watermen’s Association website www.marylandwatermen.com
Baltimore Canyon “urban sanctuary” off OC worries fishermen
Capt. Monty Hawkins of Morning Star Fishing in Ocean City said the protection of one small patch of ocean does nothing to protect the ocean environment as a whole. “We have to do a whole lot better than what we are doing,” Hawkins said. “But taking the Baltimore Canyon and protecting the area directly around it is incredibly distressing, these are areas filled with recreational fishermen and commercial fishermen.” While the designation is said to not impact recreational fishing, the unique designation has worried local politicians and fishermen alike, who believe that the sanctuary status could impact the local economy; whether by curbing recreational and tournament fishing or impacting commercial vessels. In Maryland, offshore commercial fishing brings in around $78.2 million annually, or roughly 35 percent of the average annual catch for the Mid-Atlantic Coastline, according to the National Aquarium’s proposal to the NOAA. Read the story here 16:22
From croaker to clams: Commercial fishing in OC
Ocean City is home to a substantial commercial fishing fleet that works our surrounding waters to harvest marketable resources from clams to swordfish. Visitors to the resort can see the commercial boats tied up at the West Ocean City harbor and some might wonder what they fish for and how. The following is a short description of a few of the commercial fishing operations that go on around Ocean City. Read the rest here 08:00
The storm that forever changed Ocean City
Currently we’re in the middle of hurricane season and although Ocean City hasn’t been hit by one this year, Sunday marked the 82nd anniversary of the hurricane that helped shape the resort town we know today. Forecasters started naming hurricanes in 1950, so the storm had no name other than the storm of 1933. According to historians, the storm officially ended August 23, 1933, but the rain started days before causing the water level to rise in Assawoman Bay. The water level got so high, eventually the bay overflowed near downtown. Read the rest here 12:49:19
Eighty years ago today the Great Hurricane of 1933 was ravaging Worcester County. It had rained for days, and the coastal bays were swollen and full. Just when it seemed things couldn’t get worse, a monumental event occurred. 
