Cape May County, More Sue Feds Over Offshore Wind Approval

CAPE MAY COUNTY, NJ — Cape May County, joined by fisheries, businesses and environmentalists, are suing the federal government over approvals of an offshore wind project that they say ignored multiple federal laws.

The county and fellow plaintiffs the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Wildwood Hotel Motel Association, Clean Ocean Action, the Garden State Seafood Association, LaMonica Fine Foods, Lunds Fisheries and Surfside Seafood Products claim that federal regulators "have abandoned their obligations to protect the environment and Atlantic-coastal marine life in favor of an inappropriate collusion with Big Wind interests," according to a news release.

Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Len Desiderio said that the county's "reasonable proposals fell on deaf ears."

"We believe the Federal permitting process was fatally flawed and we have assembled a great legal team to pursue these issues in the Federal Courts. There is far too much at stake to do nothing. This suit brings together important stakeholders in Cape May County willing to fight to protect our economy, our environment and our future," Desiderio said.

The suit alleges that, among other things, federal regulatory agencies ignored the requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the National Historic Preservation Act and more in order to "rush" approvals of Orsted's Ocean Wind 1 offshore wind farm.

You can read the full complaint at capewindinfo.com.

Further Reading

Ocean Wind 1 Delayed Until 2026, Developers Say

6 Charged During Protests As Offshore Wind Work Begins In Ocean City

Ocean City The First Battleground In National Offshore Wind Fight