Offshore Wind Public Meeting Set For Manahawkin

MANAHAWKIN, NJ — Two planned offshore wind projects would stretch between Barnegat Light and Atlantic City, and the public is invited to share their thoughts at an upcoming public meeting in Manahawkin.

The Atlantic Shores South Wind Project is made up of two lease areas between Ocean County and Atlantic County. It could generate about 2,800 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power almost 1 million homes, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

An informal, open house-style meeting will be held June 21 at 5 p.m. in Holiday Inn Manahawkin/Long Beach Island (151 Route 72 West).

Attendees will be able to visit stations to view project information posters staffed by BOEM subject matter experts, and watch pre-recorded video presentations providing a project description and descriptions of potential impacts that will be played continuously from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

The purpose of the meeting is to allow attendees to provide written comments for the project, which recently released its draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Comments will be used to complete the final EIS, which will help BOEM decide whether to approve the project and if so, what measures to take. Read more: 2 More Wind Farms Planned For Jersey Shore: Comments Sought

These comments can be shared at the meeting with a court reporter, by submitting comments to www.regulations.gov or by sending written comments to BOEM.

Many have voiced concerns regarding offshore wind farms in New Jersey, primarily relating to an unproven link between sonar mapping activities and marine mammal deaths.

A recent poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University shows that 39 percent of New Jerseyans want to halt offshore wind development, while 35 percent want it to continue.

An interesting part to note is that with the mention of marine mammal deaths, support for offshore wind dropped significantly.

“The argument that the wind farms are hurting cute, smart animals just craters support,” said Dan Cassino, a professor of Government and Politics at FDU, and the director of the poll. “People concerned about the environment want to have green energy, but put that up against dolphins, and the dolphins are going to win every time.”

You can read the 900-page draft EIS and find out more information about the projects here. There is also information on how to register for additional meetings and how to submit comments.