The Biden administration’s blind pursuit of green energy is again under fire, this time by a conservative group that has filed a lawsuit against them and Dominion Energy. The suit seeks to halt the proposed Virginia Offshore Wind project, citing the potential harm it could cause to the endangered North Atlantic right whales.
According to the lawsuit, the project’s environmental review has been grossly inadequate. It failed to properly assess the cumulative impacts of this and other East Coast wind farms on the remaining population of right whales, which is estimated to be around 350.
The lawsuit alleges that these agencies have violated the Endangered Species Act by approving this ill-conceived project without any verifiable protections for these majestic creatures.
Despite these serious allegations, Dominion and federal agencies continue with their empty assurances that extensive review found no adverse impacts to marine life from offshore wind and that environmental protections will be in place.
The plaintiffs argue that with 55 whale deaths in recent years and very few breeding females left, such rushed wind development poses too great a risk to the survival of this iconic species.
“On one hand, the Biden administration says you have to have renewable energy, but in the process, the windmills have an environmental impact, not only on whales but on birds that get chopped up by the windmills,” Paul Kamenar, counsel for the National Legal and Policy Center, stated. “Our position is that it’s a larger issue than the environment, but relying on windmills is also an economic issue that will cost consumers and make energy less reliable.”
Dominion spokesperson Jeremy Slayton made a feeble attempt at damage control by saying “The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has done an extraordinarily thorough environmental review of the project and carefully considered potential impacts to marine wildlife and the environment,”. He further added that “The overwhelming consensus of federal agencies and scientific organizations is that offshore wind does not adversely impact marine life. We’ve put in place strong environmental protections for this project, and are confident the North Atlantic right whale will be protected.”
Heartland Institute President James Taylor rightly called out this hypocrisy stating “Playing politics with such an iconic species as the right whale is a truly pathetic example of the Biden administration’s allegiance to climate alarmism,”
“The agencies haven’t taken into account the cumulative effect up and down the coast,” Kamenar said.
If justice prevails and a ruling comes in favor of these plaintiffs, it could halt what would be the largest offshore wind project planned for US waters, and deliver a significant blow to Biden’s reckless green energy agenda.
Source: State of the Union
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