Feds say “damn the whales” in the Gulf of Maine

Written by David Wojick on July 2, 2024. Posted in Current News

Biden’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposes to build a huge amount of floating offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine.

As required by law, it has published for public comment a draft Environmental Assessment of the area designated for this monster project.

But insanely, there is no assessment of the project, just of the area without the project. I am not making this up.

This place is properly called the Wind Energy Area (WEA) because that is where the wind energy will come from.

BOEM says they plan to issue eight leases initially with a monster development potential of 15,000 MW. Given that 15 MW is the biggest turbine available that amounts to 1,000 or more huge turbines. A second phase might add another thousand of so.

The potential adverse impact of this offshore wind project on whales is enormous. In fact, the Gulf of Maine is designated as critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act for the desperately endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. Clearly, caution is called for.

The draft Environmental Assessment simply ignores this enormous threat. BOEM says these potentially horrendous impacts will only be considered on a lease by lease basis and then only when specific development plans have been submitted. So, for now, it is “Damn the whales, full speed ahead.”

Here is BOEM’s incredible statement, a single sentence: “The analysis did not consider construction and operation of any commercial wind power facilities within the Gulf of Maine WEA, the latter of which would be evaluated as part of a separate National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process if a lessee submits a Construction and Operations Plan (COP).”

It seems not to have occurred to BOEM that a careful impact assessment under NEPA is essential before any leases are offered. A proper assessment might conclude that some of these leases should not be let.

Or it might call for restrictions on development of some leases. These leases are likely to sell altogether for several billion dollars and the buyers expect to get their money’s worth. It will be too late to impose major restrictions.

Moreover, there needs to be a cumulative impact assessment of the entire multi-lease project according to the Endangered Species Act. Given the critical habitat designation for Right Whales, this project may not be legal, and that determination must be made before the leases are let.

The key concept in NEPA assessment is that impacts are reasonably likely, and at least the 15,000 MW ones are certainly that. This assessment must come before the agency decision, which means letting the leases.

The details of construction are unlikely to change the impact assessment very much. While there are many competing floating wind designs, they are all basically the same.

A turbine tower sits on a floater that is anchored to the sea floor by mooring lines. The shape and construction of the floaters is the primary variable and that is minor compared to the adverse impact of a thousand of them.

BOEM has the decision logic backward. Careful adverse impact assessment under NEPA and species protection plans under the Endangered Species Act must precede and guide the activity of leasing sites for floating wind development.

Public comments are due by July 22, 2024, and can be made here:

https://www.regulations.gov/document/BOEM-2024-0030-0001

The draft Gulf of Maine WEA Environmental Assessment and numerous related documents are here: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine

Note that there will be two virtual public meetings on the draft EA on July 8 and 10. Information and registration are available at the above link.

I urge people to comment. Save the whales from offshore wind.

See more here Cfact

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