6 dead whales wash up on Jersey shores. Offshore windmills?

0:00 Speaker 1 What is today is Carrie Martin and she is the advocacy advocacy manager of the Clean Ocean Action Program and she is as mad as me about losing whales. Well, Carrie, tell us about what the heck is going on? So many whales are dying.

0:22 Speaker 2 Well, that’s what Cleanition and Action would like to know and hope an investigation is going to be done to investigate and find out what’s going on with the little whales. We had six died, six that died and washed up in the month of August alone, and then we’ve had dozens of them washed ups since December of twenty twenty two.

0:43 So we’re looking at what information is available. There’s not much. We’re trying to get as much as we can from the agencies about what impacts are, what’s happening to the whales. And you know, Cleanition and Action and Ocean Advacy Organization has been looking at pollution and industrialization activities in this region for nearly forty years and there is quite a

1:07 large number of activities going on related to offshore wind at the time that these well desks and marine mammal dusts are happening, and we just want to find we want an investigation to look into what these what these wells are dying from. If it’s you know, offshore wind activities, or if it’s any other concerns, obviously we would we

1:28 would like to know the answers. So we’re calling for an investigation because there’s too many washing up in too short time and in a small area of the ocean here.

1:38 Speaker 1 And I understand from some of the people I have talked to, because I’m very much concerned about it, is that when they dig holes or do their research, they’re using some sonic booms or whatever. What do you hear in that?

1:59 Speaker 2 So, according to see the information shared by the federal government through the environmental impact statements and the construction and operations plans for all of these offshore wind projects, UH, the the tools and devices used and methods used to UH do the survey work before they actually do the construction of these large wind farms uses sonar and some

2:22 seismic activities and tools and methods to characterize the sea flour to look for, you know, see what the substrate is and see if the ocean fork can withstand and withhold the infrastructure this needed for these projects. So some of those surveying tools and activities are allowed for the marine mammals and the animals and the ocean, and so

2:45 the agencies have to give authorizations to companies to do these activities because of a known harm from these activities on the hearing of marine mammals particularly uh. But at the same time, when federal agencies are asked about what’s causing the impacts of the deaths of these whales, they’ve been very quick to an confident to say that it’s

3:08 not the offshore wind activities without the evidence to show that it’s not. So the activities that are going on right now for the many offshore wind facilities off the coast that’s being proposed, are only the pre construction activities. Uh.

3:25 The construction activities are to follow and quickly, and they’re going to be louder and much more harmful.

3:31 Speaker 1 Understood and eventually if they’re an operation, it killed thousands of birds.

3:39 Speaker 2 So for yet, during operations and maintenance, there’s going to be thousands of trips for these vessels going in and out of ports out to these facilities. There’s also the operation and operations of the actual turbu themselves. Like you said, so these facilities that are being proposed are going to impact the ecosystem oceanics system from the benthic or the bottom,

4:01 all the way to above the ocean in the air with the birds. So you know the impacts we’re starting to see. You know, the activities move forward very quickly and in a very large manner. With there’s actually there’s actually thirty projects in the Northeast alone from Massachusetts down to New Jersey for offshore wind being proposed, with more

4:24 to the south and more in the future as well.

4:27 Speaker 1 Is New Jersey going forward with the twelve billion dollar program.

4:32 Speaker 2 So actually New York and New Jersey are actually in the process of doing their third solicitation for more offshore wind projects to identify companies that are going to bring the power ashore from these offshore lease areas. So this is the third solicitation and for each state, this third solicitation will double in each state what they already have

4:55 approved for offshore wind off our coast. So it’s moving forward quickly in a big way. There’s commitment at the state federal level for offshore wind, and you know, really quickly there’s is federal incentives, whether it’s subsidies or actually gets you know, the diff in the ground by twenty twenty sixth then they get, you know, additional incentives. So

5:23 it’s really you know, there is incentives out there, and of course climate change is a concern that clean Ocean Action has, but we feel that there are more ways that are cheaper, safer, more efficient to be done on land before we you know, go full scale out in the ocean as being proposed.

5:41 Speaker 1 Well, Carrie Martin, thank you for briefing us on what’s going on and the possibilities of why our whales are dying. And you know, I love whales and I love birds, and and I don’t think that’s the answer for a few dure energy needs. And you know it’s saying we can go into it and into it. But I just

6:05 think you’re doing the right thing investigating it because I love those whales, and God bless you, and God bless America. So Carrie, Carrie Martin, you’re the manager in charge of clean Ocean Action, keep doing your investigations and keep us informed.

6:25 Speaker 2 Thank you for informing everyone as well and being interested in the issue. It’s very serious and happening really really quickly in a big way.

6:33 Speaker 1 Well, thank you, and love w ABC is always there to report the truth and God bless you and God blessed Mark. Thank you.