November 2024 Newsletter

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

What a week! With any election – locally, nationally or internationally – there is uncertainty in the future. But one thing is certain:

“MEN AND NATURE MUST WORK HAND IN HAND. THE THROWING OUT OF BALANCE OF THE RESOURCES OF NATURE THROWS OUT OF BALANCE ALSO THE LIVES OF MEN.”
–Franklin Delano Roosevelt

With that in mind, and as the year is quickly coming to a close, things at Green Oceans continue to stay busy. As always, we’d like to thank those that make our progress possible including our volunteers, donors and friends. Read on for our latest updates:

Legal Update

Delivering on Deadlines!

November 15th is the due date for Green Oceans’ Motion and Brief in Support of Summary Judgment in our favor with all the co-plaintiff declarations. Before reading on, please consider making a donation to fund our legal expenses by clicking here. By making a donation, you will be on the environmentally correct side of this potentially historical legal ruling.

Our opponents are the U.S. government and Ørsted, the wind farm developer who petitioned to intervene in the lawsuit. At the same time Green Oceans submits our supporting evidence, the U.S. government will file a Motion for Summary Judgment arguing their side of the case. The Government did NOT file a motion to dismiss the case for lack of standing to sue. Ørsted, as intervenor, did file a motion to dismiss for lack of standing, an aggressive move. The first priority as of November 15th is to survive the motion to dismiss by submitting evidence that all our co-plaintiffs demonstrate that they have met the criteria for standing under each of the statutes.

To recap: Green Oceans filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging four federal agencies shortcut statutory and regulatory procedures and violated environmental protection laws by approving the South Fork and Revolution Wind projects. An additional 35 co-plaintiffs joined the litigation. Filed under the Administrative Procedure Act, the suit intends to prove that the federal agencies violated eight statutes, including the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Clean Water Act and their associated regulatory programs.

Well said by a Green Oceans trustee:

“Even people who support the concept of wind power understand the threat to sea life. On the official NOAA site, they have granted the developer of Revolution Wind, just one project of many, permission to harm and harass over 13,000 marine animals, including 568 whales, during the course of a single year. We do not consider 13,000 a small number.”

You can read a two page overview of the lawsuit here, or the 51 page intent to sue here.

Environmental Update

Field Trip for Sound and Sand

Recently, members of Green Oceans gathered at Elephant Rock Beach in Westport, MA to collect sand samples and audio recordings.

The sand samples are on their way to a lab at the University of Arizona to be analyzed for the presence of foam debris from Vineyard Wind 1’s blade failure.

The acoustician, Robert Rand, dropped his hydrophone about 50 feet offshore, hoping to record the pile driving sounds from Revolution Wind 15 miles away. Due to an apparent construction pause, none were detected that day. However, during a previous session in Rhode Island Sound, he was able to record the underwater impact sound, and it was deafening. Robert will be back—Stay tuned for more updates.

Contamination at Quonset Point

Green Oceans finally received the massive 20 gigabyte (GB) report listing toxins uncovered at Quonset Point that was requested through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in September. A dedicated volunteer is currently reviewing the report. Stay tuned for more updates.

As a reminder: Revolution Wind has delayed its timeline by at least a year due to the unexpected toxins found at their Quonset Point onshore substation site. The onshore substation site will connect the 65-turbine offshore wind farm to the regional power grid and is being built by Skyborn Renewables, Ørsted’s 50% partner in Revolution Wind. Until September, the substation was being built by Eversource, who recently exited their partnership with Ørsted by completing the sale of their 50% interest in Revolution Wind to Skyborn Renewables (both foreign companies).

Rolldock Sun Vessel on the Move

Rolldock Sun, a blade delivery vessel for Vineyard Wind 1, recently (and quietly) completed a cargo delivery back to France– an unknown number of compromised turbine blades. Now the ship is en route back to New Bedford with an expected arrival of November 2nd.

Soon after completing the cargo delivery, Vineyard Wind announced that an unknown number of blades already installed at the Vineyard Wind 1 site failed inspection and must be removed or repaired.

The Environmental Impact Study of Vineyard Wind 1 did not account for the additional delivery miles of these compromised blades. So many miles with tons of cargo – is that green?

Deadlines and Redlines: SouthCoast, CRMC & The Mid Atlantic

Green Oceans’ editing team is continuing to meet all deadlines at breakneck pace with scientifically relevant submissions.

Public comments on SouthCoast Wind’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit application are due to the EPA on November 6th. Each substation will intake 8-10 million gallons of ocean water a DAY and discharge this quantity back into the ocean approximately 40 degrees warmer and containing bleach. Everything in the water, all fish larvae, zooplankton, and crustaceans will be killed. Green Oceans will be submitting fact based, scientifically relevant responses to this section of SouthCoast Wind Farm’s Energy Lease thanks to one remarkable volunteer that has jumped through hoops. Learn more about SouthCoast Wind’s request for approval of just one of their five proposed discharge stations here. There is no cumulative impact study for all five. Wouldn’t more discharge stations mean the potential for more detrimental impacts on the environment?

Green Oceans recently submitted comments during the five year review process regarding RI’s Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC). In short: the comments focused on the CRMC’s Ocean Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) and their failure to comply with the Ocean SAMP in their approval of offshore wind projects. Thank you to another dedicated volunteer who took on this effort.

Additionally, comments were submitted by yet another capable volunteer in response to BOEM’s call for information regarding commercial leasing for wind power development on the Central Atlantic Outer Coastal Shelf. Green Oceans commented on the appropriateness of offshore wind development overall given the lack of concrete evidence wind power actually reduces carbon emissions in compliance with Executive Order 14008. In addition, Green Oceans commented on the potential for Central Atlantic offshore wind development to disrupt migration patterns of species like the North Atlantic RIght Whale as well as the industrializations potential to alter processes that establish, maintain, and degrade Cold Pool stratification, a process fundamental to the high fishery productivity of the region. Multiple observations and comments were included, but these two are very significant. Submitted by the October 21, 2024 deadline.

Green Oceans previously responded to the Massachusetts Inter-agency Offshore Wind Council’s call for comments on their strategic plan. The plan is full speed ahead on offshore wind. Green Oceans pushed back on the position, again, fundamentally citing lack of evidence that deployment of offshore wind will actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Submitted by September 16, 2024 deadline.

Recent Developments

ecoRI Forum Recap

ecoRI’s Forum “Setting the Record Straight on Offshore Wind” on Wednesday, October 16th proved that everyone needs more information regarding energy from accurate sources. The information on Green Oceans White Paper cites credible sources, such as our own government’s Bureau of Environmental Management and NOAA.

The highlight of the evening was the fantastic turnout from people tracking offshore wind development, as well as the change of heart from offshore wind supporters who began to learn more and ask questions. Continue to be ambassadors and share your wealth of knowledge, everyone!

Nantucket, our Neighbor and Friend

We are not an island unto ourselves. Nationally, many communities are coming together to stop offshore wind development, including Massachusetts island’s Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. We are in this together, and the more we know, the more we say “no”!

Thank you to the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), a Nantucket based non-profit who recently pulled out of the “Good Neighbour Agreement” with Vineyard Wind after a unanimous vote by its 16 member Board of Directors. 

The non-profit alleges the company has breached the terms of the agreement. Executive Director Joanna Roache said:

“...as more information became available regarding additional wind turbine projects, the aggregate impact of the lighting on each turbine, and the recent blade failure, it became increasingly clear to us that the impact on our night skies and our island community was not something we could support.”

Candidate Survey

Green Oceans recently sent a survey to almost 700 Rhode Island Candidates on the 2024 Election Ballot. Candidates were asked to rank their priorities on a myriad of issues regarding offshore wind, the environment and more. We look forward to hearing back from the candidates. No response is a response that will be noted!

Looking Ahead

Please Consider Donating to Fund Our Legal Expenses

Green Oceans is embarking on a year-end giving campaign to fund our mounting legal expenses. Donations to our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law. Be an early (and often!) donor by clicking here.

Making a donation to Green Oceans will greatly improve our chances of halting offshore wind construction in our area. In turn, the ripple effect from our success could provide enough hope and traction for the same goal to be achieved with other offshore wind projects that pose a real threat to the environment and thus, our quality of life.

Helpful Information

Reduce your Holiday Carbon Footprint

With Halloween behind us, consider how you can eliminate any plug-in decorations next year, and for the upcoming holiday season. Fake spider webs are made out of dense artificial fibers that are harmful to the environment, and wildlife that can become entangled in them. We suggest eliminating them from your decor.

Fun Fact

Daylight Savings used to be called “War Time”. It allowed for additional daylight hours to be added into the day to help save energy costs during World War I. This article outlines the ways our country came together to help reduce carbon emissions, without destroying the environment in the process!

Thank You to Our Supporters!

Green Oceans is a broad coalition of citizens who are committed to protecting and preserving our coastal waters. Whether you have made a financial contribution, volunteered, helped spread awareness about our mission, attended a seminar, or posted a yard sign—we thank you for your support!

As Alexander Solzhenitsyn said, “The simple step for a courageous individual, is not to take part in the lie.”

Onward,

Lisa, Bill, Bryan, Charlotte, Barbara, Katie, and the Green Oceans Team

Ways to Get Involved

Sign Our Petition

We now have over 3,000 signatures from 30 States and nine countries, but we need more! Please distribute the link to family, neighbors, and friends to help gather more signatures.

Volunteer

We value your skills! Sign up for our volunteer directory.

Host a Zoom Presentation

The Green Oceans team often holds small, focus-group presentations. Please consider hosting a Zoom to inform your neighbors and friends.

Post a Yard Sign

Supporters have requested over 500 yard signs.

About Green Oceans

Green Oceans is a citizens group founded in January 2023 by community members dedicated to combating climate change without sacrificing the biodiversity or health of the ocean. We strive to protect the ocean by informing the public about imminent threats, including the impact of offshore wind on the marine ecosystem.

Learn More

Visit our website, follow us on social media, or contact us directly via email for more information.