LBI Towns Voice Offshore Wind Opposition

LONG BEACH ISLAND, NJ — The municipalities of Long Beach Island are voicing their opposition of offshore wind development and are preparing to take legal action if need be, according to a letter filed with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

In a joint statement with law firm Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, which filed the letter on behalf of all of LBI's municipalities regarding the proposed Atlantic Shores application calling for a federal consistency certification that the offshore wind project is consistent with New Jersey’s coastal policies.

Frank Huttle, representing the municipalities along with Pashman Stein Chair and Managing Partner Michael S. Stein, said that the project does not comply with NJDEP's coastal zone management regulations. The applicant should instead "seek approval of a project in a designated lease area further offshore that would have far fewer impacts on the state's coastal resources and economy," Huttle said.

Stein said that the towns support alternative energy and wind power, but the Atlantic Shores is a "misguided and rushed process" and does not have a full evaluation of what the impact could be on the environment and economy.

"As the comment letter states, the Atlantic Shores project directly conflicts with New Jersey’s coastal policies and requires additional studies based on current data," Stein said.

"It is the largest project of its kind, the closest to the shoreline in the United States, and it will destroy the coastal resources and economy of the LBI Municipalities," said Long Beach Township Mayor Joseph H. Mancini.

"As leaders within our municipalities, we are choosing to speak as one voice through the comment letter, on behalf of all of our residents, visitors and businesses, whether they are year-round or seasonal; they all deserve to be heard as we work together to raise awareness of the problems inherent in the Atlantic Shores project," Mancini added.

He noted that the towns are skeptical that the NJDEP will take the letter seriously.

"The LBI Municipalities intend to take all available actions, including pursuing an adjudicatory hearing to have Atlantic Shores' application considered by a neutral administrative law judge and pursuing other judicial review, to protect LBI for generations to come," Mancini said.

The letter cites impacts on visuals, tourism, the fishing industry, whales and birds as reasons to reconsider the project. Read it in full here.