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Osprey, dolphins, herons and loons do frequent areas

A two-year research project led by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and made public Friday shows there would be minimal environmental impact at sites proposed for several wind energy projects off the New Jersey coast.

Designed by DEP scientists during the Corzine administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Minerals Management Service, the $7 million study will help identify optimum sites off the state's Atlantic coast for wind energy projects that would have the least impact on the environment.

The draft final report states there would be negligible impacts to bird, fish and marine mammal life caused "green energy'' turbines which could be located from 3 to 20 miles out to sea, from Barnegat Bay to Hereford Inlet off the coast of Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties.

The study did find that Osprey, dolphins, herons and loons can be found in the areas where turbines might rise.

"We now have the science and data needed to take the first steps towards making wind energy projects a reality for New Jersey,'' DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said. "It puts us in the forefront environmentally, while also providing New Jersey with a great economic boost from jobs that will be created by this new green industry.

"These types of projects will have a long-term effect on climate change and help us end our reliance on fossil fuels,'' Martin added. "We would much rather have wind turbines than oil rigs off the coast of New Jersey.''

The study area included 75 miles of coastal area from Seaside Park to North Wildwood, and explored approximately 1,360 square nautical miles. It looked at the abundance, distribution and migratory patterns of avian species, fish, marine mammals and sea turtles. It factored in shipping lanes, pipelines, tug and barge transit routes and undersea utility lines, while mapping artificial reefs, commercial and recreational fishing areas, and marine protected areas.

The Sierra Club of New Jersey described the study as a step towards clean energy and reducing New Jersey's reliance on fossil fuels and finite resources but also said it slowed the process of implementing wind power..

"This report clearly shows that New Jersey can have wind farms off the coast that will help provide clean energy for the state with negligible risks to the environment, Jeff Tittel, Sierra Club director, said. "The Sierra Club believes that this report is a big step but the state needs to move forward on permitting and funding for offshore wind energy."

Tittel added, "This report, although a step in the right direction, slowed the process of implementing wind power. The DEP spent two years on a blue ribbon panel and another two years on a baseline study which did not include an environmental review or risk assessment. The review must get done rapidly and efficiently so that the New Jersey can move forward to a clean energy future. To realize this goal, the state must also pass the offshore wind credit bill recently approved by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. This program will facilitate manufacturing of turbines and construction of wind farms, which will produce green jobs and stimulate the economy.''

The information generated by the study can be used to support evaluation of a pilot turbine project proposed by Fisherman's Energy that would be located some three miles off the coast, as well as three lease areas approved by the federal government for future meteorological studies to be done by three private companies at sites 8 miles, 16 to 18 miles, and 20 miles off the coast.

"Having the data from this study puts us far ahead of everyone else on a technology that is better for the environment and will help the state's economy,'' Martin said.

David Pringle, the New Jersey Environmental Federation campaign director, said, "This is an important step in transforming New Jersey's economy into a 21st century clean energy-driven green engine. This top notch report provides the scientific baseline needed to advance offshore wind and thereby effectively combat climate change, create jobs, grow the economy and protect public health. While we always need to know more, we're pleased DEP is demonstrating a new attitude after years of delay under prior administrations. Commissioner Martin is advancing the right questions. It's no longer if we should do offshore wind but how.''

The report includes these findings:

• Bird density was found to significantly decrease as you move further offshore.
• Of all birds visually recorded, only a small percent were observed flying in the potential turbine rotor swept zone. Geese, herons, dabbling ducks, Osprey and common loons were the predominant species found in those zones.
• Dolphins are the predominant species and most frequently observed in the study area. The densities of other marine mammals, including whales and seals, are low throughout the study area.
• There were few sightings of sea turtles with just two species found during summer months.
• Mitigation procedures could be used to limit negative impacts on birds and marine mammals, including brief turbine shut downs during peak avian migration seasons and noise reduction techniques during construction to ease the strain on hearing-sensitive dolphins.

— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM