The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
Danish Engineering Firm Orsted Named as Co-Defendant In First Major Challenge to Ocean Wind 1
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Atlantic City NJ, three groups have filed suit in Superior Court challenging New Jersey DEP’s approval of the Ocean Wind 1 project consisting of nearly 100 turbines to be located 15 miles off New Jersey’s busiest beach communities.
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Long Beach Island NJ, groups that have been at the forefront of the effort to halt plans for hundreds of electricity-generating wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean have taken their campaign to court.
The groups ,Save LBI, Defend Brigantine Beach and Protect Our Coast NJ claim state officials ignored evidence the massive structures will harm the offshore environment in their approvals.
The legal action naming the state Department of Environmental Protection and company developing the offshore wind project was filed with the state Appellate Division, the normal venue for challenging the decision of a state agency. A previous lawsuit filed by wind-power opponents was rejected by a federal judge earlier this year.
Continue reading Whale Watch: Environmental Groups Sue NJ DEP Over Offshore Wind Project
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Glassborro NJ, Senator Ed Durr issued the following response after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) determined that the deaths of two humpback whales were caused by vessel strikes off the coast of New York and New Jersey.
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Union Beach NJ, Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger and Assemblywoman Victoria Flynn have introduced new legislation (A5566) which seeks to regulate the use of acoustic sonar surveying and subsequently pause current testing while a new permitting structure is developed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) which would offer greater protection of marine life off the Jersey Shore.
Continue reading Marine life Massacre Continues at the Jersey Shore
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Trenton NJ, New Jersey Senate Republicans will hold an independent hearing on Wednesday, May 3 to receive testimony on the surge of whale and dolphin deaths along the Jersey Shore in recent months and potential links to wind farms that are under development. The virtual hearing will be livestreamed on Facebook Live.
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Seaside Park NJ, Stranding Network members from The Marine Mammal Stranding Center, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, New York Marine Rescue Center, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources completed a necropsy today, 3/3/2023 in Seaside Park, NJ, to determine the cause of death of the 30ft humpback whale that was first seen on March 1. Although the animal was fairly decomposed, teams were able to determine that she was a female, in good body condition, and document several internal and external injuries. These include bruising on the head, sections of fractured skull, and sharp force trauma consistent with propeller wounds on the right lateral side. Evidence of previous entanglement scars were also documented. The necropsy team obtained samples from the wound sites, as well as other parts of the whale, that will be sent out for further testing to determine if the injuries were sustained pre or post mortem. Full results may not be available for many weeks. Following the necropsy, the whale was buried on the beach. The Seaside Park Police Department, Fire Department, Public Works, NJ State Park Police, Ocean County Sheriff’s Officials, Seaside Heights Officials, NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement and Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Staff, NJ Department of Environmental Projection, and Monmouth County Department of Public Works were all on scene or assisting with the response. We are thankful for the tireless efforts of our stranding network and local partners, and their dedication towards these animals.
Continue reading Whales and Dolphins Continue to Wash Up on the Jersey Coastline
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Atlantic City NJ, Senator Anthony M. Bucco said Governor Phil Murphy should heed the advice of the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel to pump the brakes on wind farm expansions amid mounting costs for developers that will likely translate into higher energy bills for families and businesses.
Continue reading Wind Farm Expansion Not the Answer for New Jersey’s Energy Needs
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Atlantic City NJ, Illustrating a strong appetite for the Garden State’s expanding offshore wind industry, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today announced that more than 400 businesses have joined the state’s Offshore Wind Supply Chain Registry since it launched less than five months ago.
The NJEDA, through its Office of Economic Transformation (OET), has been working closely with the Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) and other agencies on the Offshore Wind Task Force to expand New Jersey’s offshore wind industry. A consistent piece of feedback throughout this process has been a desire for a comprehensive list of New Jersey-based companies that established offshore wind companies can partner with or purchase from as they advance projects in the state.
Continue reading Over 400 Businesses Line Up for NJEDA’s Offshore Wind Supply Chain Registry
