Danger at sea NYs offshore wind power will kill whales, ground ships and more
New York’s offshore waters are on the brink of a man-made disaster, one that threatens marine life, coastal economies and even national security.The Empire Wind offshore wind project this week began construction in the New York Bight, a critical marine ecosystem and one of the busiest maritime zones on the East Coast.The damage may be irreversible — and New Yorkers will be footing the bill.This week, Empire started dumping thousands of tons of rock into the ocean to prepare for constructing huge monopiles, the foundations upon which its giant wind turbines will sit. The rocks — 3.2 billion pounds of them, in just this first phase of a planned two-part installation — will destroy habitat, burying vital sand shoals that serve as spawning and nursery grounds for fish species like fluke, squid and scallops.Entire fisheries and fishing communities from Massachusetts to North Carolina will be harmed.Next month, Empire will start pile-driving the massive 180-foot monopoles into the seafloor.The tremendous underwater noise and vibration will harm all marine life, especially endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale.Already on the edge of extinction, these whales migrate directly through the construction zone.
Empire Wind’s permit from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration allows the harassment of these marine mammals — expected to include temporary deafness of over 300 whales in its first year of construction.More than 150 endangered right, fin and sei whales are permitted to be harmed in this way, crippling their underwater navigation and communication abilities.Up to eight are allowed to be permanently deafened.A deaf whale is a dead whale.The risks extend beyond endangered whales: Empire Wind puts the broader Atlantic Ocean coastal economy in jeopardy.The Mid-Atlantic Bight supports a multibillion-dollar commercial and recreational fishing industry and thousands of jobs coastwide.
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