On November 9, the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board heard testimony about a prposed compressor station in Buckingham County as part of Dominion Energy’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Here’s an exchange that was taken from testimony between Air Board member Sam Bleicher and representatives from Dominion.
Less than one week after Bleicher raised concerns, he was dismissed from the Air Board.
Oppose the Buckingham Compressor Project. Call Governor Northam at 804-784-2211. Tell him to stop protecting Dominion and start protecting the people of Union Hill, Virginia.
Who we are:
We are a group of University of Maryland students majoring in Environmental Science and Policy. For our senior capstone project, we are researching the impact of offshore wind energy to help CCAN prepare for the upcoming public comment period for the proposed Ocean City USWind Project. We will be creating a series of blog posts to provide information about different aspects of offshore wind and its impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, the economy, and wildlife. This is the last of our three part series.
Although offshore wind is relatively new technology, there is significant evidence proving that offshore wind farms do have a positive impact on the local environment. The negative impacts caused by offshore wind farms are short-lived, as seen at multiple European offshore wind farms such as Horns Rev, Nysted, and Egmond aan Zee. Many scientists currently studying the environmental impacts of offshore wind have found that there is a net positive environmental effect resulting from the existence of these farms.
Environmental Impacts
The development of the offshore wind farm in Ocean City, Maryland will cause some immediate negative impacts from physical disturbance of the local habitat as well as noise pollution both above and below the surface of the water. However, multiple studies conducted on several active European offshore wind farms (Offshore Wind Farm Egmond aan Zee, Horns Rev) have shown that most, or all, of these negative side effects subside over time, eventually becoming negligible. These studies have also shown that there are many positive environmental impacts which occur as a result of the introduction of the wind farm into the ecosystem. These can include, but are not limited to, creation of habitat for wildlife species, increased total biomass, and increased biodiversity.
Although there will be significant modification of the local environment, this will create room for growth in both species richness and diversity. Sites typically chosen for wind farms have naturally occurring sandy sediments. In order to support the wind turbines, large rocks will be introduced to build up the foundation and to increase stability of the monopiles. These large substrates create new habitats for many species of fish and invertebrates. Thus, despite initial disturbance, operating wind farms are capable of supporting many organisms. Benthic communities and aquatic vegetation have found the large substrates around the monopiles to be particularly useful as sites for colonization. Some images from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observatory have shown sediment plumes resulting from the flow of water around the monopiles of wind turbines carrying disturbed fine-grained sediments with the current. These plumes can be up to 30 meters wide and several kilometers long. However, increased turbidity in the waters near operating wind farms has proven to subside and to have negligible impacts on local wildlife. After five full years of operation, Egmond aan Zee wind farm in the Netherlands showed zero negative impact on the benthic communities within the wind farm site resulting from increased sediment flow.
Marine Species Impacts
Marine organisms face several negative impacts from the creation of wind farms including increased noise pollution. However, the benefits that come from the creation of the wind farm outweigh the negative effects. The noise levels created by fully operational offshore wind farms have shown minimal long-term disturbance of organisms within the local area, however knowledge on this topic is lacking and requires further study over longer periods of time. However, the most dramatic noise pollution occurs during pile driving, but it is not a long-term impairment. One Dutch study showed an increase in the detection of dolphins inside the wind farm area as opposed to outside sampling sites. This same study also reported the return of seals to the area following completion of construction.
According to a study conducted by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, the noise generated by an active turbine may be audible to marine mammals from just over 40 miles away. Ongoing research explains methods that can be used to significantly reduce the impact of noise on the surrounding environment.
Following the construction of wind farms, each turbine may support marine wildlife on a large scale. Each wind turbine is able to support up to four metric tons of shellfish that attracts other marine wildlife to the area, similarly to that of an artificial reef. The wind farm will then attract a wide range of organisms to the area due to the newly available habitat and resources. The higher abundance of smaller organisms will attract larger predatory organisms to the wind farm and create a healthy marine ecosystem that may not have been as abundant or productive pre-construction.
The increased biodiversity provides marine mammals with high food availability, encouraging them to return to the area in higher abundances than pre-construction. The increase in food availability resulting from the physical structures of the turbines will provide an overall benefit to marine organisms and their ecosystem.
Avian Species Impacts
The proposed wind farm in Ocean City will be positioned in the path of the Atlantic Flyway, a major migration pattern for birds along the east coast of North America. Birds that fly along the Atlantic Flyway may include the bald eagle, golden-winged warbler, and piping plovers. This causes fear that there will be increased bird strikes during the annual migration. There have been several studies to quantify the estimated rate of impact of the proposed wind farm in Ocean City, which has proven to be minimal. In fact, wind farms cause fewer bird deaths than other anthropogenic factors. One of these studies found that, “wind farms and nuclear power stations are responsible each for between 0.3 and 0.4 fatalities per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity while fossil-fueled power stations are responsible for about 5.2 fatalities per GWh.” This data was collected from land based wind farms, where the abundance of birds and bats is much higher than on the coast. As such, the strikes from offshore wind farms would be much lower comparatively to the land farms and other types of energy production. Another study conducted at an offshore wind farm called Horns Rev located in the North Sea found minimal bird collisions with the turbines based on observation and modeling.
Furthermore, few species fly far enough off the coast for the wind farm to interfere with their normal flight pattern. Local bird species who do not necessarily use the Atlantic Flyway for their migration were found to be in higher abundance near the wind farms because of the higher localized biodiversity. Cormorant and seagull populations actually increased in the wind farm area. Additionally, the birds inhabited the area for longer periods of time than previously measured and would nest on the turbines. Birds that are migrating along the Atlantic Flyway are likely to have few strikes and perhaps even use the wind farm for an intermediate point for rest and a source of nutrition. The presence of a wind farm in this area would provide a beneficial site for resting, socialization, and foraging.
Conclusion
Based on findings and information from currently active wind farms, the overall environmental impact of offshore wind in Ocean City will be positive. The area will experience a decrease in carbon emissions resulting from increased biodiversity because of creation of new habitat and food sources, as well as increased total biomass. While wildlife may be negatively affected during construction and servicing of turbines, these effects tend to be short-lived and have shown minimal or no long-term negative impacts on behavior or physiology of species present. Current knowledge of offshore wind has provided a lot of insight into the potential issues which may be faced during construction and implementation, making it possible to anticipate and preemptively act to mitigate any negative effects. Thus, serious environmental harm can be avoided while taking advantage of the benefits of clean energy.
SIGN THIS PETITION TO THE BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT URGING THEM TO APPROVE OFFSHORE WIND IN MARYLAND!
By Chloe Taylor, Katrina Vaitkus, Justin Stacey, Zachary Felch, Amanda Speciale, Katie DeVoss, and Miranda Mlilo Who we are:
Left to right: Chloe Taylor, Katrina Vaitkus, Zachary Felch, Justin Stacey, Miranda Mlilo, Amanda Speciale, and Katie DeVoss
We are a group of University of Maryland students majoring in Environmental Science and Policy. For our senior capstone project, we are researching the impact of offshore wind energy to help CCAN prepare for the upcoming public comment period for the proposed Ocean City US Wind Project. We will be creating a series of blog posts to provide information about different aspects of offshore wind and its impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, the economy, and wildlife. This is the second of our three part series.
There seems to be a common misconception that offshore wind energy might hurt Ocean City’s economy. This could not be further from the truth! In fact, research suggests that an offshore wind farm may actually bolster very important sectors of the economy such as tourism, real estate, and job creation. Tourism and Real Estate Many polls have surveyed beachgoers and gathered data about their vacationing preferences after the theoretical construction of offshore wind turbines. The results were generally positive for offshore wind, and showed either no change in beach preferences, or an increased likelihood that tourists would visit the area. For example, one Goucher poll from fall 2017 surveyed Marylanders to find out how the proposed offshore wind project would impact whether they choose Ocean City as a vacation destination. Out of 671 Marylanders, 75% of people said that the offshore wind farm would make no difference about where they choose to vacation. Additionally, 12% said that the presence of a wind farm might make them more inclined to visit, out of curiosity and interest. This sentiment was further emphasized by Jessica Willi, Executive Director of the Block Island Tourism Council who stated that after the construction of the Block Island offshore wind farm, “We’ve definitely seen more people on the island that have come just to see the wind farm; we’ve had businesses sprout up on the island, boats taking people out just to see the wind farm.” Additionally, a French study found that turbines will bring an increase in biodiversity and wildlife. This will expand the tourism market, bolstered by the desire to view, learn about, and interact with wildlife through activities like observational boating and diving around turbine foundations! Furthermore, it is unlikely that there will be any negative impacts on real estate prices. While there is no existing data regarding real estate impacts from offshore wind farms, there are studies from onshore facilities located close to homes indicating that real estate will not be affected. Since offshore wind farms are located several miles off of the coast and have negligible visibility, data showing no effect from turbines located close to homes onshore would likely support a lack of impact for offshore turbines far from homes and other properties. In fact, benefits from tourism and lower electricity costs might even increase property values. A 2013 study by Ben Hoen and colleagues found no statistical evidence that wind turbines affected nearby home prices in either the post-announcement/pre-construction or post-construction period. They found that while sale prices might temporarily decrease following the announcement of construction, labeled the “anticipation effect,” these decreases will wear off following construction. Job Creation US Wind plans to invest millions of dollars into Baltimore’s industrial and manufacturing sector. This substantial investment into the local economy is the root of the job opportunities for the city from the offshore wind project. Revitalization of the manufacturing industry could lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs in the greater Baltimore area, contributing to the 3,580 jobs the Public Service Commission of Maryland has required US Wind to create in the state. At every step of the process, employment opportunities abound. Skilled workers from numerous disciplines are essential to upgrade the facilities at Tradepoint Atlantic (at Sparrows Point) and other locations. An independent study for the Department of Energy forecasts the creation of up to 600 jobs and 33 million dollars in compensation during this stage alone. After the improvements are complete, over 150 tradespeople will likely be employed at the fabrication facility constructing steel jacket foundations — these jobs will continue even after the Maryland offshore wind project is complete as the East Coast’s offshore wind industry grows. Such professions can pay over 20 dollars an hour. Not only does Baltimore stand to gain significant employment opportunities, so does Ocean City. As the closest city to the project, there is a unique chance to participate in the construction and upkeep of the wind turbines. Specialized workers from crane operators to electricians may be called on to help in the construction of the turbines while receiving payment upwards of 25 dollars an hour on average, if not more. Perhaps the most interesting job prospect is the chance to become employed as wind turbine service technicians. With a lifespan of 25 years, the turbines will require constant check ups and maintenance by locally-based technicians. Community colleges and technical schools are the key to getting a foot in the door with a 2-year degree or 1-year certification in the field. With a 96% job outlook in the coming years, the time is now to enter the profession. Economic Benefits in Maryland This project will also generate millions of dollars for Maryland’s economy, providing more jobs and emerging business investments. Maryland created the Maryland Offshore Wind Business Development Fund to encourage future project development. US Wind is required to contribute $6 million to this fund between 2017-2019, which will help other businesses emerge and profit within this novel industry. US Wind has pledged to invest 26.4 million dollars in upgrades to the Tradepoint Atlantic port facility, and an additional 51 million dollars in another steel facility, further solidifying their commitment to the local economy and job growth. US Wind is required to spend at least 19% of total development and construction costs within Maryland. Their studies estimate this in-state expenditure to be $610 million during development and construction, and another $744 million (valued in 2017 dollars) in the operation phase. This offshore wind farm will provide millions of dollars to the state’s economy and help advance business interests. In addition to these state benefits, Marylanders do not need to fear exorbitant electricity costs. There may be some concern over how the state will offset the costs to build the project, such as raising the price of electricity. However, Maryland law prohibits residential rates from exceeding an additional $1.50 per month (valued in 2012 dollars) through 2040. For businesses and other non-residential payers, this increase is less than 1.4% annually. While this is a small increase, it is still advantageous to build the wind farm, as it helps the state comply with its renewable energy standards. Additionally, the cost of electricity should decrease over time as this project encourages future offshore wind projects in the pipeline. In one National Renewable Energy Laboratory study, they found the cost of electricity in the mid-Atlantic will decrease through 2027 with the installation of offshore wind projects currently in the pipeline. Compared to 2015 prices, the data reflect a 41-52% cost reduction in 2027 per megawatt hour to the mid-Atlantic! Thus, constructing this project will only have small rate increases to Maryland ratepayers, but will decrease future regional energy costs while meeting our renewable energy goals. In conclusion, offshore wind has the potential to increase tourism and property values in Ocean City. The project will create jobs, stabilize electricity rates, and increase Maryland’s Taylor x revenue. Stay informed, get involved, and let our government know that you support offshore wind in the state of Maryland! SIGN THIS PETITION TO THE BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT URGING THEM TO APPROVE OFFSHORE WIND IN MARYLAND!
By Chloe Taylor, Katrina Vaitkus, Justin Stacey, Zachary Felch, Amanda Speciale, Katie DeVoss, and Miranda Mlilo Who we are:
We are a group of University of Maryland students majoring in Environmental Science and Policy. For our senior capstone project, we are researching the impact of offshore wind energy for CCAN to help prepare for the upcoming public comment period for the proposed Ocean City US Wind Project. We will be creating a series of blog posts to provide information about different aspects of offshore wind and its impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, the economy, and wildlife. This is the first of our three part series.
Greenhouse gas emissions are the most significant driver of climate change. These emissions increase atmospheric temperature, correlating to climate change events such as sea level rise and increased frequency of extreme weather. Not only do these emissions create climate change, but they also pose serious public health risks, specifically to those with poor respiratory health, due to their contribution to air pollution and air quality.
Renewable energy is a solution to combat the problems from greenhouse gas emissions. Supporting renewable energy initiatives and projects can decrease greenhouse gas emissions by millions of tons per year. Currently in the state of Maryland, we emit 59 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, and 17 million metric tons of these alone are from the energy sector. Despite this high number, only 10% of energy generated is renewable. The offshore wind project proposed off of the coast of Ocean City, Maryland may be the solution we are looking for. Not only will it help decrease Maryland’s total emissions by millions of metric tons per year, but it will encourage more renewable energy development.
Currently, wind energy accounts for 1.4% of renewable energy in Maryland, from 191 MW of onshore wind, providing for 49,000 homes. The offshore wind project proposes 250MW of wind power, therefore this could more than double the amount of wind power Maryland uses. American Wind Energy estimates that in 2017 wind energy avoided a total of 189 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the US , reducing 11% of all US power emissions. In addition to carbon dioxide emission displacement, wind also avoided 188,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and 122,000 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions. This major cut alone prompted an estimated $8 billion in public health savings due to better air quality and less pollution.
The offshore wind project could bring many benefits to the state of Maryland and help to decrease emissions on both the state and global scale. Shifting towards renewable energy is important not only for protecting our environment, but also for protecting our own health. Stay informed, get involved, and let our government know that you support offshore wind in the state of Maryland!
Sign this petition to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management urging them to approve offshore wind in Maryland!
Record flooding. More hurricanes. Brett Kavanaugh. And now a dire warning that the world has until 2030 to stem the impacts of climate change.
How are you feeling?
It’s a valid question. A new study indicates that changes in weather — and the stress and anxiety around climate change — is impacting Americans’ mental health. With recent headlines like the UN IPCC’s report, in which we are warned that we only have ten years to completely remake our energy system and cut carbon emissions in half, it’s okay to feel scared, and maybe a little bit helpless. It’s easy to feel like we as individuals cannot stop the climate destruction that’s happening or give in to the “doom-and-gloom” narrative that we see all around us. But it’s NOT okay to do nothing about it. It is much harder, but far more important, to rise above hopelessness and come together as neighbors and do what we can to stop climate change from impacting our homes and our fellow Americans.
While there are times I still feel climate despair, I’m constantly uplifted and inspired by the work we do every day at CCAN. We’re empowering people across the Chesapeake region to take the climate fight into their own hands at the local level. In the near term, we cannot wait for Trump’s EPA to take action for us at the national level – the local level is where it’s at:
In D.C., the DC Climate Coalition is making moves on the bill that would move the District to 100% renewable energy by 2032 – a comprehensive bill that is the result of over two years of organizing and meetings with impacted stakeholders to form a just and equitable bill.
In Maryland, hundreds of voters have taken pledges to vote for clean energy this November and have taken the “No New Fossil Fuels” pledge – stating that they will not support any new gas pipelines or other harmful energy source to be constructed. We’re also working to expand Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard by doubling and put the state on track to 100% renewable energy. . And we’re seeing residents from across Maryland say NO to pollution-spewing trash incinerators and saying yes to energy alternatives like community solar.
In Virginia, we’ve seen a new wave of grassroots resistance to fossil fuel pipelines like Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) and Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). A combination of civil disobedience, public outcry, and legal challenges in the courts have resulted in permits to be tossed, temporarily halting construction on the MVP. Meanwhile, we’re campaigning for Virginia to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a needed step to reduce statewide carbon emissions.
What YOU can do:
Make sure you’re signed up on our email list and be sure to write in your zip code to get the important climate updates in your area. Want to get up-to-the-minute updates on our work? Like our Facebook pages for CCAN and our sister organization and advocacy arm CCAN Action Fund..
Volunteer with us. Fill out this volunteer survey and we’ll put you in touch with an organizer in your area who can talk to you about ways you can plug-in.
Donate to help fund climate victories. If you’re running short on time – donating is the best option. Your donations will help us fund canvassing trainings, hire fellows to help us with our work, and will go towards our everyday campaign work expenses.
Or, do you need to just vent to someone? We want to hear how you feel!
The work we do is hard – but we never lose sight of why we came to the table in this fight. We know it won’t be easy. But we also know that we have the grit, resilience, and tenacity to look the climate crisis in the face and find motivation to keep fighting.
The most important thing to remember is that we’re all in this together. If you’re struggling, talk to your community, speak to a friend, or find mental health services. Together, we can find solutions to our climate crisis and know that there is still hope.
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If you are in crisis and need immediate support, call or go the website of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255). Trained workers are available to talk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To find a mental health care provider and treatment, read more from the American Psychological Association on how to find services and what to look for.
Here’s where the permits for EQT’s Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) stand: The Army Corps’s permit allowing Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) to blast through more than 1,000 streams? Back to the drawing board. The Forest Service’s permit for MVP to slice across the Jefferson National Forest? Rejected. What was the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) forced to do as a result? Stop construction activity along all portions of the MVP for nearly four weeks. What’s next? On behalf of CCAN and other groups, Appalachian Mountain Advocates (Appalmad) filed a challenge to FERC’s approval of the entire pipeline with the D.C. Circuit. Oral argument will take place in 2019.
And here’s where we stand with Dominion’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP): Dominion’s permit from the National Park Service to cross the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway? Tossed. And the agency’s new, mostly unchanged permit is being challenged. The Fish and Wildlife Service permit protecting endangered species from the ACP? Insufficient. That agency’s re-issued permit is also being challenged. Dominion’s permit to cut across the Monongahela and George Washington national forests? Stayed. A decision is forthcoming. The Army Corps’s permit allowing ACP to blast through streams in West Virginia? Stayed. Argument will take place later this year. What was FERC forced to do? Stop all work on the ACP for over a month. What’s next? On behalf of CCAN and other groups, the Southern Environmental Law Center and Appalmad filed a challenge to FERC’s approval of the entire pipeline with the Fourth Circuit. Oral argument will take place in 2019. — In my eight years at CCAN fighting for clean energy and against dirty energy projects, I’ve never seen us make more dents in the armor of a dirty-energy project than we are with these two pipelines. In the wake of a sobering report on climate change, our work to protect our communities and planet is more important than ever. This critical work includes fighting projects such as the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines, which would lock us into reliance on polluting fossil fuels for decades to come. I’ve been inspired by the years — YEARS — that opponents have spent fighting these pipelines on the ground. While they’ve received (most of) their permits, not one permit was granted without controversy or a fight. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality was forced to create an entirely new process by which they reviewed the pipelines. Thanks to your outcry, Virginia gave ACP and MVP more scrutiny than neighboring Maryland gave a pipeline there. The State Water Control Board came this close to rejecting water permits for the pipelines, voting 4-3 to approve the permits after an unprecedented level of scrutiny. Even FERC itself was divided. When the Commission issued its approval of the projects, it did so at 7pm on a Friday with one of the three commissioners dissenting. Now we’re attacking each of those shoddy permits in court. For years we’ve been warning that the companies behind the pipelines have been pushing regulators to approve key permits without considering the full scope of their destruction. In decision after decision, courts are validating that concern. One court in particular — the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit — is doing what the federal government should have done all along: protecting the public and the environment from these harmful and unneeded pipelines. The newest news is that late last week the Army Corps of Engineers suspended a permit that the fracked-gas Mountain Valley Pipeline must have in order to build through waterways in Virginia. This action follows Tuesday’s federal court ruling throwing out MVP’s stream crossing permit for southern West Virginia. That now-vacated permit would have allowed MVP to blast a trench through the beloved Gauley, Greenbrier, and Elk rivers. Our attorneys at Appalachian Mountain Advocates (Appalmad) argued our case so convincingly that the court only needed two business days to decide to toss the permit. We followed up this win with a letter to FERC asking it to halt all work on the pipeline, as FERC’s order approving the project requires that all permits be in place for construction to take place anywhere along its 303-mile route. The issue before the court was this: When West Virginia certified the Army Corps’ nationwide permit back in 2017, it placed a condition that stream crossings have to be completed within 72 hours. States have the authority to include additional conditions when they certify the Army Corps’s blanket permit, which they do every five years. Essentially, West Virginia said that it had reasonable assurance that state water quality standards would be met if the project met the conditions of the Army Corps’ nationwide permit and the project took 72 hours or less to cross waterbodies. We argued — and the court agreed — that MVP hadn’t even tried to comply with West Virginia’s 72-hour time limit when planning to cross four major rivers, and that this failure meant that the entire permit, not just as it applied to those four crossings, was therefore defective. West Virginia officials are now trying to rewrite their own rules. After the Fourth Circuit indicated that it had major concerns with the permit over the summer, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice wasted no time in issuing a statement promising to “expedit[e] the construction of this pipeline.” Might Governor Justice’s devotion to the MVP have something to do with the fact that a top adviser, Bray Cary, serves on the board of EQT? EQT, of course, is a main backer of the MVP and Mr. Cary holds millions of dollars in EQT stock. Appalmad responded with a letter explaining the many reasons why the state can’t rewrite its rules at this stage. And, during oral argument two weeks ago, the judges appeared highly skeptical of West Virginia’s shenanigans. Along with our friends at Appalmad and West Virginia Rivers, we are closely monitoring any developments. What does this defeat mean for the MVP? Another year of delay, most likely. Instead of a blanket, one-size-fits-all permit that the Corps had tried to use, it now has to issue an individual permit that’s tailored to the specific area. This process could take up to a year and will include opportunities for public comment. Stay tuned for more from us on how to participate in that process. The court’s decision to throw out the Army Corps’s water permit for MVP is just one of a number of defeats that pipeline has faced. In July, the Fourth Circuit vacated decisions by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service authorizing the construction of the MVP across the Jefferson National Forest. In response, Commission staff halted construction activity along all portions of the MVP. When FERC staff lifted that stay for most of the MVP, two commissioners issued a scathing press release raising “significant concerns” with the staff’s action. To reiterate: The Army Corps’s permit for MVP to blast through more than 1,000 streams? Back to the drawing board. The Forest Service’s permit for MVP to slice across the Jefferson National Forest? Rejected. All the while, the MVP project is getting further delayed and more expensive. MVP has told investors that its anticipated completion date of late this year is no longer viable. And, in a revised estimate, pipeline developers now expect to spend $4.6 billion on the project, a jump of about 25% over the anticipated $3.7 billion. Meanwhile, Dominion’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline is also reeling from multiple setbacks. Dominion’s permit from the National Park Service to cross the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway? Tossed. The Fish and Wildlife Service’s permit protecting endangered species from the ACP? Insufficient. Dominion’s permit to cut across the Monongahela and George Washington national forests? Stayed. The court’s order to stay construction through the national forests was the third time in four months that the Fourth Circuit has vacated or stayed federal authorization for the ACP. These invalid permits caused FERC to issue a stop work order for the ACP. While FERC lifted the stay as soon as the agencies issued new, rushed permits, our friends at the Southern Environmental Law Center are challenging both of those re-issued permits. And the Fourth Circuit’s work on the ACP isn’t over yet. Judges recently heard arguments to Virginia’s approval of the project under the Clean Water Act. The court also heard oral argument in the challenge to Dominion’s permit to cross national forest land — the same permit it stayed days earlier — and is expected to rule on it in the coming months. Our biggest cases yet will be heading to federal courts later this year. We are challenging FERC’s permit, which underpins both projects. This challenge will give courts an opportunity to scrutinize the need for these projects. Together, we’ve been chipping away at these pipelines through protests and activism and camptivism and tree-sits and community monitoring efforts and lawsuits. Now, two of the largest interstate fracked-gas pipeline projects in the Eastern US are in jeopardy. This wouldn’t have happened without you. Thank you for all you do!
On September 17th, I had the great opportunity of joining a “Power Women” tour of the Block Island wind farm in Rhode Island, the nation’s only offshore wind farm. Organized by the National Wildlife Federation and Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy, the tour brought together women working in clean energy advocacy and in the industry itself. I traveled from Maryland with my colleagues Jennifer Kunze from Clean Water Action, Laqeisha Greene from United Workers, and Leah Kelly with the Environmental Integrity Project to join the tour.
A group photo from the “Power Women” tour of the Block Island Wind Farm.
As we work with our local partners to bring offshore wind to Maryland, we can learn a lot from the U.S.’s only offshore wind farm off of Block Island. The wind farm was built by Deepwater Wind and came online in December 2016. It’s a small project, made up of just five 6-megawatt turbines. But those five turbines are enough to power 17,000 homes both on Block Island and on the mainland with clean, renewable energy. Prior to the wind farm, Block Island’s 300 residents received their power from diesel generators. When the turbines were installed, Deepwater built a submarine cable that connected Block Island to the mainland electric grid for the first time, and the island was able to turn off those diesel generators. As Aileen Kenney of Deepwater Wind remarked on the tour, “It’s a small symbol of how renewable energy will replace some of those dirtier older fuels.”
Five 6-megawatt turbines make up the Block Island wind farm.
The project is 16 miles off of the mainland, so it took a while to get out there. While there have been some concerns in Maryland about how visible offshore wind turbines will be from the shore, I struggled to see them for most of our boat ride. Then they slowly began to appear on the horizon, cropping up on the horizon in their slow-moving elegance. Once we approached the turbines, we cruised around them and heard from local elected officials, technical experts from Deepwater Wind and GE, and advocates who were instrumental in bringing this project online.
It took most of the boat ride before we could start to see the turbines on the horizon.
Once we reached the turbines, elected officials from Rhode Island and Massachusetts engaged in competitive banter about who is going to install the most megawatts of offshore wind power. Rep. Pat Haddad from Massachusetts got a lot of laughs when she commented, “I used to be the queen of coal. Now I’m the witch of wind.” I chatted with Janet Coit, director of Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management, on the boat, and she shared more insights into the project’s local reception. I mentioned some of the concerns that I’ve heard in Maryland, particularly about how offshore wind could potentially impact tourism. Ms. Coit spoke about how the turbines off of Block Island have actually become a tourist destination themselves. And as an island that is largely dependent upon tourism, the additional reason to visit has been a boon. While there was some initial hesitation from a few folks on the island who were worried about impacts to the pristine view of the ocean, she said that most people have come around: “it’s just like how people get used to utility lines, it’s part of the viewshed and it’s actually cool, like Block Island is celebrating that it’s green.”
Aileen Kenney, Senior Vice President of Development at Deepwater Wind, shared a lot of information about the project including its economic benefits, the company’s engagement with local communities, and various precautions to protect wildlife. She said that the Block Island project generated 300 construction jobs and noted that when she goes to public meetings about offshore wind, “you don’t even hear about the climate benefits anymore because people are really focusing in on the port improvement, the jobs, what is it going to mean for people going back to work in ports, and the whole manufacturing side of it.” Coming from Baltimore where we stand to gain port improvements and local manufacturing jobs from Maryland’s proposed wind farms, I can attest to this deep interest in the economic opportunities presented by offshore wind.
Aileen Kenney with Deepwater Wind noted that since the turbines were built, there’s been an increase in recreational fishing around the turbines as they function as artificial reefs. She shared, “Some of the recreational fishermen, they’ll be tweeting out or blogging out which turbine is the best for catch on certain days. So it’s fun, and that all drives into the economy of Rhode Island and brings more people, makes Rhode Island more attractive for fishing.”
Ms. Kenney also pointed out an avian radar unit that was installed in collaboration with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that allows the agency to track endangered species when they’re flying across Rhode Island Sound. And she spoke about efforts to minimize the impacts from pile driving, which causes noise that can be disruptive to marine mammals and sea turtles. To protect local wildlife, particularly the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale from the construction noise, conservation groups helped develop an agreement to limit the time of year that pile driving could occur. And when pile driving did take place, Ms. Kenney described how “teams of protected species observers on vessels patroll[ed] around, looking for marine mammals and shutting down construction activity when they were in certain zones.”
Aileen Kenney, Senior Vice President of Development at Deepwater Wind, speaking about the project off Block Island.
While no development project is going to have zero impacts to the local community and environment, the team of people who brought the Block Island wind farm to completion seemed genuinely committed to addressing concerns and working in collaboration to build the best possible project. As we headed back to shore, I spoke with Ms. Kenney and Joy Weber from Deepwater to learn more about what their plans are for Maryland. Their proposed wind farm in Maryland will be much bigger than the one off Block Island, generating 120 MW of energy and creating 913 direct and 484 indirect jobs. I asked what type of jobs they expect the project to create and what types of transferable skills will be useful for people hoping to work on the project. Ms. Kenney said that the Block Island project employed “welders, painters, electricians,” and noted that “welding is welding. It’s a transferable skill if you’re a qualified welder, so the weld on that [pointing to a turbine] is a very transferable skill.” Then there are the maintenance and operating jobs after the projects are built.
Ms. Weber remarked that as the industry gets off the ground, “there’s going to be a lot of partnering [with] companies that have done this before and maybe from out of state that come in and partner with Maryland companies that are interested in getting involved.” As Maryland’s Public Service Commission emphasized when they approved both Deepwater’s project as well as U.S. Wind’s project last year, Maryland has an exciting opportunity to lead the offshore wind industry on the East Coast. Ms. Kenney spoke of this potential: “there’s not just a project, there’s an industry that will mean long-term, sustainable jobs as well.” We also chatted about how to overcome some of the lingering opposition and concerns in Maryland, mostly around the appearance of the wind turbines. Ms. Weber predicted, “I think that understandably there’s concern about changing anything. But I think that people are going to be okay once they see how you can barely see them.” Indeed, as our boat got closer to shore, the turbines disappeared from view once again. But I was sad to see them go. Rather than obstructing a pristine ocean view, I think the turbines are beautiful symbols of our clean energy future.
Check out a video from the tour below!
Want to bring offshore wind to Maryland? Sign this petition to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management urging them to approve offshore wind in our state!
By Jackie Apel Rockville, Maryland
In light of the Maryland Department of Energy’s new rule requiring waste incinerators in the state to reduce their harmful air pollution, this is an excellent time to consider ways for Baltimore and other cities to manage their waste disposal processes. The Baltimore City Council has issued a resolution to improve upon its Solid Waste Management Master Plan, asking consultants to bid on a contract to develop a new plan. These new resolutions and limits on emissions are important first steps towards reducing air pollution, but environmentalists have expressed concerns that these steps do not go far enough to adequately address our clean air problems.
Residents who live near incineration facilities are all too familiar with the dirty air that they breathe each day. Recently, I heard testimony from a resident of Baltimore who recounted how many of her neighbors had been exposed to dangerous chemicals as well as air from the BRESCO incinerator, and had developed lung cancer as a result. While it is encouraging that the incinerators are taking steps to lower their output of nitrogen oxides, it is also a known fact that incinerators tend to be placed near, and disproportionately impact, lower income communities of color. A recent scientific study by The American Chemical Society reported that nitrogen oxides directly contribute to respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD; lung cancers; heart disease; birth defects, and developmental problems in children, with impacts to the brain and nervous systems. Nitrogen dioxide is a hidden health hazard, and particulates can become airborne and travel long distances, with microscopic particles penetrating deeply into the lungs. During the recent Supreme Court confirmation hearing, we also heard testimony from a teenager who suffers with asthma about the dangers of air pollution, and its consequences for human health, and the importance of not revoking our environmental regulations. Many are rightfully concerned as we watch the Trump Administration move in a fateful direction, away from regulation of harmful toxins, to allowing companies to proliferate pollution of our air and water. Combined, there are many sources of air pollution that affect our health on a daily basis, as well as contribute to climate change.
What can we do to minimize our trash pollution and create a cleaner environment? Maryland can begin by passing the Clean Energy Jobs Initiative, which would phase out incineration as a Tier 1 source in the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard. Improving our technology and limiting emissions will help, but we also need to look at the whole picture of waste management— from product design to disposal—and find ways to move towards a “zero waste” plan like Oakland, California has done, where 1,000 jobs were created. Pollution costs the U.S. billions in healthcare, and is adversely affecting our planet’s weather. We need to embrace new ways of thinking about waste disposal, and do everything we can to limit our toxic air. We can do this sooner rather than later, by following a zero waste and clean energy plan! Submit a comment today! Urge the MDE to lower pollution from Baltimore’s incinerator.
This summer was not an easy one. We faced several blows in the anti-pipeline movement. The days were long, and hot — too hot — and the months slipped away.
Before I knew it, the summer was over, and construction was underway for two massive fracked-gas pipelines in Virginia, themselves like a force of nature, unstoppable and immovable.
So when I finally got the chance to visit the home of Bill and Lynn Limpert, whose breathtaking land is in the path of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, it was long past time. I had heard stories about how extraordinary it was to visit: to say hello and stand with Ona, the 300-year-old sugar maple; to hike the old-growth forest that had never been cut; to speak and sing with Bill and Lynn Limpert, the amazing couple at the heart of it all who have everything to lose. Safe to say, my expectations were high.
And they were met.
The weekend was filled with music, magic, and moving moments. I found myself moved to tears at the stories of the weekend visitors, a group from the West Virginia-based Mountain Lakes Preservation Alliance. The beauty of the Limperts’ land truly transported me so I felt I was walking through a fairy tale movie landscape.
And the music! We were graced with the presence of lifelong folk musicians, who strummed and sang the pipeline movement to life.
In my air-conditioned Takoma Park office, seven stories above the ground, I often felt seven worlds removed from reality. I often find this sort of disconnection a necessary evil as a lifelong climate activist: when you’re facing an issue as existential and overwhelming as global warming, you need to remove yourself from its horrors. Otherwise, it can feel like too much.
But this is an immense privilege I have — to hide out behind a computer. So many others don’t have the opportunity to escape the climate crisis. The Limperts cannot simply fold their land into a lockbox and hide it away. That’s why it is so important to meet them and learn from them, and remember what we are all fighting for.
And in the midst of the setbacks, we’ve also won some crucial victories — so the fights against the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines are far from over.
This summer, the 4th Circuit Court threw out crucial permits provided by the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service. As a result of these court decisions, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission–the main agency in charge of overseeing these pipelines–made Dominion and EQT stop work on both the ACP and the MVP.
Unfortunately, since then, FERC staff lifted the stop-work orders for much of the route of both pipelines. FERC’s move was hugely controversial, and not just to everyone who opposes this unnecessary and damaging pipeline. Two FERC commissioners took the rare step of issuing a press release criticizing the decision to allow MVP to continue work.
In the meantime, CCAN and our allies have filed the biggest challenge yet to both pipelines. We are challenging FERC’s overarching approval of both the ACP and MVP, arguing that the pipelines are unneeded and damaging to our climate and the environment.
From the streets, to the courts to the forests, we are dedicated to fighting these pipelines in any way we can.
On Saturday, September 8th, the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement hosted the Festival for Change: Climate, Jobs & Justice as part of an international day of action to #RiseforClimate in the lead-up to a major climate summit in California this week. Despite rainy conditions, two hundred people from Baltimore and from as far away as Ocean City and Washington D.C. gathered at War Memorial Plaza in front of City Hall to demand bold action on climate change. Watch a video with highlights from the day HERE! The festival kicked off with two marching bands, the Baltimore Twilighters and the Dynasty Marching Unit, who encircled War Memorial Plaza and energized the crowd. The Dynasty Marching Unit marching around War Memorial Plaza. Photo credit: Stacy Miller, CCAN The Baltimore Twilighters kicking off the Festival for Change! Photo credit: Stacy Miller, CCAN
After the opening numbers, Dr. Rev. Heber Brown from the Black Church Food Security Network delivered a powerful keynote address where he urged us to “bring it all together” and unite our struggles for racial, economic, and environmental justice. Keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Heber Brown of the Black Church Food Security Network said, “Seeking food justice and an end to food apartheid is intricately tied to our response to climate change. This holy work, of caring for the health of our neighbors and caring for creation, of connecting climate, jobs, and justice, is why I founded The Black Church Food Security Network, and why we’re gathering at the Festival for Change.” Photo credit: Yinka Bode-George, Maryland Environmental Health Network.
Out across the plaza, festival goers moved through an “action village” full of opportunities to join the movement for climate justice and gain practical skills to build climate resilient communities. Festival goers stop by the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement’s table to take local action for climate justice and SEIU’s table to join the Fight for $15 movement. Photo credit: Taylor Smith-Hams, CCAN
Rodette Jones with the Filbert Street Garden and Baltimore Compost Collective posing with a young festival goer at her station in the action village. Photo credit: Nabeehah Azeez, Communities United. Kevin Antoszewski makes apple cider at the Baltimore Orchard Project’s station in the action village. Photo credit: Taylor Smith-Hams, CCAN
The festival also featured several art exhibits that encouraged attendees to creatively engage with environmental and climate justice issues. A highlight of the exhibits was “Resilience Street,” a cardboard village that serves as a model for the strong and resilient neighborhoods we need to face the climate crisis. Festival goers were invited to paint and “plant” vegetables for the garden and take photos with the village. Photo credit: Stacy Miller, CCAN
Valeska Populoh of the Maryland Institute College of Art and Black Cherry Puppet Theater, spoke about the importance of art in the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement’s work: “Art Builds, informal workshop spaces where coalition members and community members can drop in, hold space for people to come together, have conversation, connect across issue areas, and learn new art making skills, like banner making and screenprinting. The banners and props we made were designed to support various ongoing campaigns, in addition to the work of the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement, and will be a kind of lending library for coalition member groups in the future.”
Painting vegetables to plant in the garden in front of “Resilience Street.” Photo credit: Stacy Miller, CCAN
Laure Drogoul exhibited her kinetic sculpture “Teetering x Tottering (On the Brink)” at the festival. The seesaw-inspired sculpture is made from wood, recycled plastic bottles, and water and “invites participants to level and stabilize themselves using the shared water in the sculpture as a balancing mechanism.” Drogoul explains, “through movement, the work creates a relationship between the participants and creates an experiential awareness of water as a shared resource.” This was one of the most popular exhibits at the festival, since many of use hadn’t been on a seesaw in years! “Teetering x Tottering (On the Brink)” by Laure Drogoul. Photo credit: Taylor Smith-Hams, CCAN
One of my favorite activities was Climate Justice Cornhole. I collaborated with Naadiya Hutchinson to paint climate-themed boards for this classic game, and we worked with several members of the coalition on accompanying cards that help define different aspects of climate justice including “food sovereignty,” “just transition,” and “energy democracy.” The cards were color coded to match up with the hand-sewn beanbags. When participants tossed a bean bag, they were invited to read the corresponding card and learn about different components of climate justice. Playing climate justice cornhole! Photo credit: Taylor Smith-Hams, CCAN One of the climate justice cornhole boards made at art builds hosted by the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement and Black Cherry Puppet Theater in August. Photo credit: Jennifer Kunze, Clean Water Action
And it wouldn’t have been a climate festival without bringing the “Wonders of the Wind” backdrop back out from our traveling art show earlier in the year! “Wonders of the Wind” was made by Alex Dukes, Di’amon Fisher, Grace Marshall, Naomi Wilkins, Stephanie Wallace, and Torianne Montes-Schiff for a traveling art show earlier in the year. It reappeared at the Festival for Change on September 8th. Photo credit: Taylor Smith-Hams, CCAN. Festival goers pose in front of the “Wonders of the Wind” backdrop with signs from the 2017 Peoples Climate March. Photo credit: Stacy Miller, CCAN
Meanwhile, local musicians took the stage including Ronald Rucker and Naomi & Malaika. Ronald Rucker performs at the Festival for Change. Photo credit: Stacy Miller, CCAN
While the event was celebratory in nature, the gravity of the issues facing Baltimore was not lost on participants. Speakers connected climate and environmental issues to transit equity, public health, and racial justice. Samuel Jordan of the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition commented, “By completing the Red Line light rail project and replacing vehicles in the Baltimore Link bus fleet with no-harmful-emissions buses, public transportation will create jobs, help achieve air quality standards, reduce automobile congestion, shorten commutes, and limit the health risks of bad air in Baltimore.” Ellery Grimm from Zero Hour, a youth-led climate justice movement, called on festival goers to center justice and take action. Photo credit: Stacy Miller, CCAN
As Ellery closed out a powerful speech, the steady rainfall took its toll on our sound equipment and we had to close out the stage. But festival goers stuck around and continued to participate in the action village and in the art exhibits throughout the plaza. Braving the rain at the Festival for Change. Photo credit: Jennifer Kunze, Clean Water Action
Emily Schubert closed out the festival with her performance “Resist the Gloom.” She and her performers truly embodied the piece’s message as they braved increasingly heavy rain and playfully interacted with the audience, encouraging us to utilize “realistic optimism” in the face of climate change and other crises. The perfect performance to close out a rainy day with: “Resist the Gloom” by Emily Schubert.
While the heavy rain definitely put a damper on the event, it also emphasized how Baltimore is already being impacted by the effects of climate change. The city has seen record-setting rainfall this year and is likely to face even more as Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast later this week. The Festival for Change was part of a series of events that the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement organized this summer and will continue into the fall that seek to connect the dots across issue areas and highlight how climate change affects Baltimore. To read recaps of the coalition’s other events this summer, check out these previousposts. And mark your calendars for the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement’s upcoming events!
Get Out the Vote Pep Rally When: Saturday, 9/22 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm Where: UMB Community Engagement Center (870 W Baltimore St) What: Groups including Black Girls Vote, The No Boundaries Coalition, the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement, Southwest Partnership, and more will come together to help prepare us all for the upcoming elections by sharing their amazing GOTV plans! Participants will have the opportunity to join a team that is right for them, and also have the opportunity to learn more about hosting a party to the polls. RSVP: RSVP here and invite all your friends!
Redefining Public Safety Town Hall When: Saturday, October 13, 12:00pm – 3:00pm Where: Douglas Memorial Community Church (1325 Madison Ave) What: Have you ever wondered what we could do to help our communities if we spent 25% of the police budget in other ways? Have you been incarcerated for a felony and now you think you can’t vote? (You can!) Do you know that prison labor has been used to clean up the BP oil spill, to fight wildfires, and to clear record amounts of snowfall possibly caused by climate change? Do you think it’s shameful that their is a $504 million surplus in Maryland’s budget, but our city students started school during a heat wave with no AC? Do you think that safety includes homes free of lead paint and pipes, free of mold, and free of rodents? Worried about how climate change will make these problems worse? Join Communities United and other members of the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement for a town hall where we will educated ourselves and one another about these issues in the city, how they connect one another, and how solutions can create more climate-resilient communities RSVP: RSVP on Facebook and invite all your friends!
The days were long, and hot — too hot — and the months slipped away.
