Wedoany.com Report-Apr 4, The Massachusetts town of Nantucket has raised concerns about the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) approval of the $1.7 billion SouthCoast Wind project, which is拟议中的2400MW offshore wind farm. The project, located off the coast of Rhode Island, received approval during the final days of President Joe Biden’s administration. Massachusetts authorities have purchased 1087MW of the project’s capacity through a multi-state solicitation, with Rhode Island contributing an additional 200MW for the first phase of the array.

Nantucket Town Select Board Chair Brooke Mohr issued a statement regarding the appeal: “Our community should not bear the consequences of their poor planning.” The appeal filed by Nantucket opposes the BOEM decision, arguing that the agency violated the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). According to the NHPA, BOEM was required to evaluate and mitigate harm to historic properties before approving projects that could impact them.

The town also contends that BOEM failed to adequately assess the broader environmental impacts of wind farms, referencing a blade failure at the CIP-Iberdrola joint venture’s Vineyard Wind project over the summer. The appeal seeks to overturn the BOEM decision, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive review process to protect historic sites and the environment.