Northfield resident Rich Baehrle asks the Margate Board of Commissioners May 16 to ‘unequivocally’ oppose offshore wind.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE – The jolting sound of the gavel quelled the unruliness of opponents of offshore wind projects several times during the Board of Commissioners meeting Thursday, May 16.
Mayor Michael Collins threatened to clear the room before taking a vote on an eight-page resolution listed separately from the board’s usual consent agenda if loud boos and catcalls from a group of offshore wind detractors continued.
“We will ask you to leave if you are not at the microphone speaking,” Collins said.
Their unruliness came during comments being made by a Margate resident who regularly attends commission meetings. Sitting in his usual seat in the right front row, Margate resident Steve Altman approached the microphone to ask the board to consider obtaining more information from proponents of offshore wind before it decides if the city should “unequivocally oppose” building any wind turbines detractors say will destroy the ocean.
His comments came after about an hour of public statements from more than a dozen members of several groups making the rounds at public meetings to encourage shore towns to join the opposition and use taxpayer funds to join a lawsuit to stop them from ever being built. They spoke about how they believe the Atlantic Shores wind projects, currently in the planning stages of development off the Jersey coast, will ruin the “pristine coastline.”
Margate resident Margie Reale speaks about the dangers posed by offshore wind projects.
Building more than 200 wind turbines that will be visible from the shore will ruin the marine ecosystem, fishing industry, tourism economy, lower property values, increase the cost of electricity, result in the death of marine mammals, and destroy the view from the top of Lucy the Elephant. They said the projects are not “green,” require the use of fossil fuels to operate, and leach dangerous chemicals into the ocean.
“I don’t have a horse in this race,” Altman said addressing the board and noting the passion and concern of other speakers. “However, I would like to see a debate with other people who have knowledge being able to offer their opinions before a resolution is adopted.”
He said "hearsay," not scientific evidence, is fueling the debate. However, opponents said much of the facts they presented come from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s own 7,000-page report detailing how development of offshore wind farms is expected to impact the environment before it generates enough energy to power millions of homes in New Jersey.
“We’re hearing a lot of passion…but the only exposure I’ve had to windmills are the windmills in Atlantic City and I haven’t heard any problems with those windmills,” he said. “It would be great if before you decide, perhaps an invitation could be extended to some of the people involved in these wind farms to get their insights and we can balance that with the passion we’ve heard tonight.”
They continued loud booing and shouting as Commissioner Maury Blumberg, who requested the resolution be pulled from the agenda until the board hears opposing viewpoints from constitutents, read a statement from NJ DEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette and headlines from editorials appearing in various news sources touting the benefits of offshore wind as a way to address climate change.
“I don’t see there’s any great rush in us voting on this resolution tonight,” Blumberg said. “It would be my request to pull it so that we can, as a couple of members of the audience suggested, obtain more open public discussion and debate so that we can hear both sides.”
He said the resolution hit him by surprise when he saw it on the agenda when it was published Tuesday afternoon.
“We are supposed to be nonpartisan and represent the voice, the ideas and the concerns of the people of Margate. We haven’t had the opportunity because we haven’t publicly announced that we were going to be entertaining this resolution,” he said.
Seated at right, Margate resident Steve Altman listens to comments made by offshore wind detractors.
The crowd booed loudly when Blumberg said the city received a $446,000 grant from Ocean Wind Trust to improve flooding controls in the Marina District and that approving the resolution could jeopardize that funding.
One woman shouted that she would give the city “a half-million dollars right now” if he would vote for the resolution. Another person shouted, “Blackmail.”
“We should continue to encourage open debate among both sides,” Blumberg said. “Maybe we should rewrite the resolution and call for some type of moratorium until we have all the facts. This resolution as written is full of hysterical language that in my opinion will be ignored because of the way it’s written. I cannot in good conscience unequivocally oppose something that I don’t know how the people I represent and who voted for me feel.”
“I believe it should stay on the agenda,” Collins said. “My decision has not been made tonight. It is something we have been researching for many years. I was part of the small group that brought SaveLBI, Defend Brigantine Beach and these groups to Margate to speak at the PAC center last year. I have been speaking to our neighbors, residents and friends for a long time and my vote will be based on what I hear from the public and what I think is best for Margate and our future.”
Blumberg questioned the “grave concerns” noted in the resolution that the city has about
#135-2024 Resolution Opposing Offshore Wind Projects opposes offshore wind in general, Collins said.
“My belief is we need to protect our shores,” he said.
“I agree with Michael,” Commissioner Cathy Horn said. “I think this is a good thing, I don’t want to pull it.”
The Longport Board of Commissioners adopted the same resolution 2-0 without comment at its meeting Wednesday, May 15. Mayor Nicholas Russo, who has in the past has said he supports the development of offshore wind as a way to reduce the harmful effects of climate change, was absent.
The Ventnor Board of Commissioners, which is the only Downbeach governing body to put up $10,000 to fight the wind turbines in court, will consider the resolution and hold a public discussion about spending additional taxpayer dollars to fight the projects.
The lawsuit brought by eight shore towns that Ventnor supported was dismissed by a Superior Court judge who said the municipalities had no standing to bring the lawsuit.
Mayor Lance Landgraf said the recently re-elected board, which will be sworn-in to four-year terms during its reorganization meeting Thursday, May 23, will likely approve spending an additional $20,000 to join a new lawsuit. Action will be taken at a future meeting, he said.
https://www.downbeach.com/2024/04/19/8-shore-towns-have-no-standing-to-bring-lawsuit-against-atlantic-shores-offshore-wind-project-judge-rules/
https://www.downbeach.com/2023/12/04/ventnor-joins-atlantic-shores-offshore-wind-project-lawsuit/
https://www.downbeach.com/2023/10/21/brigantine-joins-lawsuit-against-atlantic-shores-wind-project/
https://www.downbeach.com/2023/05/20/downbeach-meeting-seeks-truth-behind-ocean-wind-turbine-projects/
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