OCEAN CITY, Md. - The Ocean City mayor and city council are urging state and federal officials to halt wind farm development until further investigation after a whale recently washed up on Assateague Island National Seashore.
"Like many other officials along the coast, we believe that development of any energy type within our fragile coastal ecosystem must be done in a responsible manner," said Mayor Rick Meehan. "Ocean City insists that all approvals and construction of wind farms off our coast be delayed until all environmental issues, economic concerns, and view shed options be fully explored, and these projects are relocated to more suitable lease areas further offshore."
The town says it supports clean and renewable energy and has worked since 2017 to ensure the proposed construction of wind turbines off its shoreline is done responsibly, however, it worries that unknown effects on whales mean that other species like migratory birds and horseshoe crabs could be affected.
Whales have washed ashore in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. Officials including Maryland Congressman Andy Harris, New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew, and 12 New Jersey mayors have called for a moratorium on turbine development, though some environmental and fishing groups say there is no evidence that offshore wind is responsible for recent whale deaths.
At the end of the day, Meehan sees the decision as an important one. "We only have one chance to get this right."