UPCOMING EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 7
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has just approved another 129 Wind Turbines to be visible south of Nantucket. This is BAD DEAL for endangered whales and a BAD DEAL for Nantucket!
Attend the Town Meeting on May 7 and vote YES to articles 77 and 78. Town Meeting Warrant Articles #77 and #78 seek to restore Nantucket's voice in this critical matter.
The Town of Nantucket has been largely silent in pushing back on Vineyard Wind and the other projects associated with the same developer. This is because of the "Good Neighbor Agreement" signed with Vineyard Wind in August of 2020 - long before most of Nantucket's citizens were aware of the size and scale of the massive industrial power plants being developed off of our shores.
Two articles to be presented on May 7, 2024 at Town Meeting will:
(#77) ask our Select Board to withdraw from this agreement and
(#78) prevent further agreements from happening behind closed doors without the knowledge of Nantucket's citizens.
Nantucket’s pristine ecosystem is the basis of our culture, tourism, and way of life. These power plants are too much, too fast, and simply too much of a burden for our small island economy. The critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale will be displaced from its only known year-round habitat. Our water will be sullied with leaking oil, diesel fuel, and other chemicals used for operating each turbine. Our dark skies are to be compromised by ten-plus years of 24/7 construction lighting, and 35 years of marine and aircraft lighting.
The cost of electricity from Vineyard Wind is at least 3 times more expensive than what we pay today. We need a better deal that benefits Nantucket and not Big Wind!
Vote YES to articles 77 and 78 on May 7!
Town Meeting
Whales and Turbines Don’t Mix!
Reasons why some people oppose industrial wind turbine development:
■ Damage to pristine ocean views
■ Higher electric rates
■ Threats to coastal economies
OUR concern is that turbines, offshore substations and vast undersea cable systems will:
■ Damage the fragile marine ecosystem that surrounds Nantucket
■ Compromise Nantucket’s designation as a National Historic Landmark
■ Wreak havoc on the birds and fish native to this area
■ Cause direct harm to the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale and potentially destroy one of the whale’s last remaining refuges and nursery sites
ACK Residents For Whales’ lawsuit aimed to stop the process so the proper studies and steps are taken to protect:
■ The pristine environment that surrounds Nantucket
■ The North Atlantic Right Whale
• The North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) is a federally-listed endangered species whose population has dropped sharply in the last ten years.
• Currently, there are just over 300 individuals – that’s it – and female reproductive success has diminished to the point where the species will soon become extinct absent aggressive intervention and protection.
• As it happens, the waters south of Nantucket are a refuge for NARWs. In fact, these waters are the only known year-round habitat and winter foraging grounds for NARWs. If the species is going to recover, the waters off Nantucket must be heavily protected and closely monitored.
• Unfortunately, this is precisely the area that BOEM has identified for extensive offshore wind development. Specifically, BOEM has issued leases for 9 different wind energy projects, all in this same area. Vineyard Wind 1 is the first to be approved by our federal government. It will be followed by SouthCoast Wind and Park City Wind. The other 5 adjacent projects will come soon after.
• Each project will require potentially fatal pile driving hundreds of feet into the ocean floor and thousands of vessel trips per year for construction, operating and maintenance.
• In the end, the waters south of Nantucket – the same waters that provide critical refuge for NARW – will be covered with wind turbine power plants covering and area larger than the State of Rhode Island!
Wind lease area south of Nantucket will encompass 1600 turbines and will be larger than the State of Rhode Island.
Since December of 2022 more than 72 dead whales have washed up on the shores along the East coast. This is an unprecedented rate and correlates directly with increased sound generating survey work for offshore wind projects. This validates our concerns about the impact of these offshore projects on marine life and specifically whales.
