They seek to protect the endangered species from the negative impacts of offshore wind development.
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released their final plans for the protection of North American right whales last month. There are only 360 whales of this species left, making them highly endangered, and they are generally localized to the U.S. East Coast.
A number of offshore wind projects have been proposed in that area, but the noise created by that construction has a notably negative impact on the right whales and their environment. To address this, the agencies proposed limiting offshore wind development in the area, implementing noise limits for all construction, and researching technologies that create quieter offshore wind operations.
They jointly stated, “Immediate impact mitigation efforts include avoiding leasing in areas that may impact potential North Atlantic right whale habitat and high use areas and providing guidance to developers on conducting robust sound field verification to ensure that noise levels expected from offshore wind activities do not exceed thresholds set for certain activities.“
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For agency officials as they continue to monitor and assess the impact of offshore wind farms on the habitat and environment.
- For wisdom for the president and his energy advisors as they consider the risks and benefits of offshore wind.
Sources: AP News, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
