Alliance Issues Press Release on CapeWind FEIR

The following is the press release from the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound regarding the recent approval of CapeWind's state FEIR.

            Alliance Issues Sharp Criticism of State Ruling on
Adequacy of Cape Wind Final Environmental Impact Report
 
State Ignores Call for Comprehensive Environmental Review
by Cape Cod and Islands
 
            (Hyannis, Massachusetts) – March 30, 2007 – Today’s decision by the Secretary of Environmental Affairs on the Cape Wind Final Environmental Impact Report is wholly unacceptable, and reflects the current Patrick Administration’s willingness to sacrifice Nantucket Sound in order to advance its renewable energy agenda. In ignoring a chorus of important community voices that called for urgent supplemental information, the Secretary has failed to listen to local concerns, and turned his back on Nantucket Sound, Cape Cod and the Islands. Rather than setting a high bar for responsible development of offshore wind energy, Secretary Ian Bowles has opened the state door to gross developer exploitation of an irreplaceable natural resource.
 
            This wrong-headed decision will threaten fishermen, tourists, and residents; place public safety in jeopardy, and endanger the marine environment of Nantucket Sound. The deficiencies that the Secretary overlooked in the FEIR include:
 
Substandard review of alternative sites
Significant harm to commercial fishing and the ocean environment
Daunting risks to public safety from navigational hazards and radar interference
Excessive negative visual impacts from the project
Fundamental access restrictions to the 25 square mile site
Potentially large impacts on birds and marine life
Potential for a petroleum spill on Cape and Island beaches
 
            There is no debate about the need to develop alternative energy sources. However, we need to ensure that that the public trust is protected, not neglected, and that Nantucket Sound is not sacrificed for the benefit of one developer. We strongly believe that the Secretary's decision today is legally flawed and we will look at all alternatives to ensure that the state’s environmental laws are enforced.
 
            Fortunately for everyone, the Secretary is not the final arbiter in the decision on Cape Wind. Other state agencies will have their say. And, the federal government has the essential and final authority over the permitting of the Cape Wind project. We will take our concerns and the supporting views of a broad coalition of public and private interests to the state permitting agencies as well as the federal government. We intend to carry on the fight and the cause for the future of Nantucket Sound.