By James FitzPatrick
Contributing Writer
The Atlantic County Board of Commissioners is calling on the Bureau Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to extend the comment period on the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Atlantic Shores South offshore wind farm.
In a move that falls in line with requests by local shore communities, the board voted June 20 to ask BOEM to extend the deadline for public comment on the 6,200-page EIS for the 200 turbine project.
The official deadline for comment is July 3. But in light of a recently initiated US General Accountability Office investigation of offshore wind, and calls by shore communities up and down the East Coast to slow things down, the commissioners decided that more time is needed.
The resolution initially stated that there should be an indefinite moratorium on offshore wind development. After several amendments suggested Commissioner Richard Dase, it was revised to show support of the GAO investigation and seek a comment period extension of between 90 and 135 days.
In February 2023 the commissioners voted to support Rep. Jeff Van Drew and state Sen. Vince Polistina in the request for a 90-day moratorium on offshore wind development activity, joining the growing chorus of communities and officials concerned that offshore wind development activities contributed to the recent spike in marine mammal deaths.
During the discussion, Dase stated that the commissioners never heard feedback from BOEM. In the case of the June 20 resolution, the federal agency was copied directly to Jessica Stromberg from BOEM.
Commissioner Caren Fitzpatrick, noting all of the federal agencies that have looked into the whale deaths. She said people hold out until they hear what they want to hear.
“It just seems like when people aren’t getting the answers that they want they keep asking, so we have three big organizations doing investigations now (BOEM, NOAH, and GAO). I’m not going to support it.”
Fitzpatrick noted that offshore wind, which was initiated in 2010 by then Governor Chris Christie, will bring billions of economic activity into the state, jobs, and has already fostered new job training programs at Atlantic Cape Community College and Rowan University.
She also said the possibility is growing that if offshore wind is not developed then offshore oil will. She said the choice could end up being between offshore wind 15 miles out or oil rigs 3 miles out
“Which should be very important to the people in this room. The other choice will continue the destruction of our environment while those corporations are laughing all the way to the bank.” She was the lone no vote on the resolution.
Chairman John Risley, who cosponsored the resolution with Dase, expressed concern that offshore wind does not make economic sense and could pose a threat to the well-being of the community. He said he looked at the numbers and they don’t add up.
“Quite frankly I’m not convinced that these windmills are in our best interest,” he said, stating that he questions the economics of it.
He has other questions including “whether or not our economy, our oceans, our fishing industries are going to be damaged in some way.
“That’s very important to us here,” he said. “We have to focus on the fishing industry and all the things that go with it so for that reason I’m very skeptical about wind power and I’m looking forward to what I hope is a nonpartisan (GAO) viewpoint.”
Vice Chairman Andrew Parker noted that the county environment and parks committee came out in support of offshore wind. They said in a statement that there is no proof whale deaths were caused by offshore wind. They also said that whales would benefit from converting to clean energy.
The meeting concluded with a hearing. Afterwards, Parker said with the resolution, the commissioners are doing everything in their power to address the issue. Now it’s time to wait for answers from the experts.
Copy editor and Contributing Writer James FitzPatrick has been a community journalist in Atlantic and Cape May counties for more than 30 years, including 20 years as editor of The Current Newspapers. He lives in Hammonton.
