The Biden administration’s unjustifiable approval of the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind project was met with backlash this Tuesday, as project opponents orchestrated a legal threat to halt the development. Save Long Beach Island, a clearly concerned party, highlighted the group’s concerns about the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) blatantly ignoring the impact of noise pollution caused by wind turbines on endangered whale species.
Save Long Beach Island is justifiably critical of these agencies’ incompetence, bringing light to their inability to fully comprehend how New Jersey’s manifold offshore wind projects will negatively affect the migration patterns of North Atlantic right whales. Despite the BOEM’s concession to a potential ‘moderate impact’ on right whale population due to Atlantic Shores South project, it seems they lack a fully rounded appreciation of the damage to these endangered mammals.
We should consider the general lack of sensitivity towards these magnificent creatures; mere noise from these constructions could drastically disrupt the right whales’ behavioural activities and migratory patterns. BOEM’s attempt to perform damage control by establishing ‘underwater noise impact minimization measures’ comes across as a mere drop in the ocean, indicative perhaps of an agency that has lost its way.
These minimal effort ‘harm mitigation strategies’, which have now become a token inclusion in multiple offshore wind projects such as Vineyard Wind 1 off the Massachusetts coast and South Fork off Long Island, fail to disguise the true issue. The administration continues to downplay the negative side-effects of these turbines beyond the initial construction phase, depicting an alarming disconnect from reality.
According to the BOEM’s report, the agency incorrectly claimed that the ‘non-impulsive’ noise produced by the turbines following their construction would be non-disruptive. These unfounded assertions feed the narrative that audibility does not equate to disruption- a thin veil that cannot mask their undeniable ignorance to the problem at hand.
Bob Stern, a former Energy Department engineer, shed light on the BOEM’s continued attempts at diminishing the issue. According to Stern, the authorities maintain their preference for data derived from smaller turbines, effectively circumventing any resolution to the devastating noise levels large turbines produce and ignoring the reality of the situation.
A dire situation unfolds before us as Stern points out the existence of less than 400 North Atlantic right whales. It seems these endangered species face an uphill battle as their migration path lies within the projected scope of the Atlantic Shores South project. Worst still, with plans for the construction of 200 turbines merely 9 miles off the coast of New Jersey, Atlantic South Shores positions itself as the most proximate offshore project to the mainland.
Stern’s earlier concerns regarding potential disruption to whale communication and navigational abilities due to the construction and implementation of the project were shunned. When will the administration stop ignoring the voices that matter? When will they realise that this isn’t about mere economic development, but about preserving our rich and diverse marine life?
Visualizing the proposed offshore wind farm’s layout is bone-chilling. It not only blocks crucial routes for the whales, but also poses an increased threat to local fishermen. There’s a higher likelihood of unfortunate collision incidents. Is the government prepared to hold itself responsible for any potential loss?
Stern went on to elaborate the potential harm, stating, ‘The operation of those turbines will obstruct the essential migration of the right whale as it attempts to pass through those waters, jeopardizing the whale’s existence and violating the Endangered Species Act.’ Stern’s statement echoes the sentiments of many, serving as a piercing judgement on the administration’s ill-conceived projects and regulatory failures.
The BOEM and NOAA, the alleged guardians of our oceans, now find themselves with a 60-day window to address the concerns of Save Long Beach Island. Given the discounting and dismissive nature of their conduct thus far, we wait, albeit with low expectations, to see if they take this as an opportunity to redeem themselves before a potential lawsuit materializes.
The tale of the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind project is thus representative of an administration that continues to put environmental concerns and preservation on the backburner in favor of perceived economic gain. Outright negative impacts of these projects, such as noise pollution and resulting disruptions to marine life, remain neglected in the push for renewable energy development.
Unfortunately, this paints a bleak picture of the Biden administration’s approach to environmental conservation and renewable energy development – firmly placing marginalized marine species in harm’s way, and highlighting a clear disconnect between their actions and their rhetoric.
As citizens, it raises the question – are these offshore wind projects truly the panacea for our energy problems, or are they merely masking the larger issues at hand? If the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind project proceeds, it could quite possibly serve as a somber reminder of the price we pay when short-term goals outweigh long-term ecological consequences.
Given these concerns, one cannot help but question the administration’s true motives in proceeding with such harmful developments. Have they fallen victim to tunnel vision in their pursuit of energy innovation or are they consciously disregarding the environment and endangered marine life for political gains? We, as the public, deserve earnest answers.