Islanders gathered at the old Aquinnah town hall for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) public hearing regarding the Revolution Wind draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on Tuesday evening.
According to the Revolution Wind website, this project will provide “Connecticut and Rhode Island residents 100 percent renewable energy to help conserve the New England environment.” However, the offshore wind farm will be closest to Martha’s Vineyard, 12 miles southwest of the Island. The project will be 15 miles away from Rhode Island, and 32 miles away from Connecticut. The project is anticipated to have 100 turbines and two export cables. The export cables will make landfall in Rhode Island. Revolution Wind is owned by Orsted and Eversource.
BOEM already held a virtual public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 29, and has another one planned for Tuesday, Oct. 11. BOEM environmental specialist Trevis Olivier said the Thursday meeting showed mixed reactions. “It’s a little bit of everything. Some oppose, some in favor. It’s still early,” he said about the September hearing. Olivier told The Times that the hearings will be available online on the BOEM website for those who miss them.
The speakers began with a welcome by Meg Perry, SWCA environmental planner and facilitator, and Jessica Stromberg, acting chief of BOEM’s Environmental Branch for Renewable Energy. During the presentation, Olivier gave an overview of the project and draft EIS, possible alternatives for the project, relevant laws like the National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act, and BOEM’s meetings and consultations with the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Tammy Turley, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New England district regulatory division, told the audience about regulatory and permitting decisions of the corps. The presentation slides can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3Mdb49U.
Perry facilitated the public comment session, allowing each person five minutes to speak. Although comments were entered into the official record, no questions were answered on Tuesday.
“The comments will be summarized, and then a response will be provided to each of the types of comments. So your individual comment will be grouped with others along similar topics, and each topic will have a response in the final EIS,” Perry said.
Some of the individuals who signed up to speak were no-shows.
Most of the Islanders who commented, many of whom were Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe members, expressed uncertainty about the project.
Tribe member Berta Welch asked, “How does this project benefit the residents of Martha’s Vineyard?” and welcomed the presenters to “our indigenous homeland of Aquinnah.”
Beverly Wright, another tribe member, asked what would happen in the case of a disaster, and about the turbines’ lifespans.
“My third question, when I was looking back there, it says ‘potential’ that we will not see any towers from our Gay Head Cliffs. I do mind the word ‘potential,’” she said.
When Wright asked again about the turbines’ lifespans, Perry gave a reminder that she is unable to provide immediate answers. “Some of these questions are answered in the [draft] environmental impact statement, and the folks here tonight can either give you the answer, or can tell you where there are more details in that document,” Perry said.
Roxanne Ackerman, an Up-Island Regional School Committee member, wanted to find a way to get employment opportunities for young Vineyarders. Ackerman also asked, “What are the opportunities for Martha’s Vineyard to have benefits, and all of this electricity doesn’t just go past us?”
Aquinnah resident Anthony Lefeber echoed Ackerman’s concerns. “It seems Martha’s Vineyard is getting all of the visual impact of this. Who is going to be sure that benefits come back to the Island?” he asked. “In terms of education, employment, environmental protection, and so forth.”
Aquinnah town administrator Jeffrey Madison said his town was “never provided notice” about the meeting, “despite the fact” a number of Aquinnah residents have been holding discussions with Revolution Wind for months.
“I noticed that the town of Aquinnah has not been listed as a consulting party,” Madison said. “We insist on being included as a consulting party, and we’ve been treated as such by representatives of Revolution Wind, if not BOEM.”
Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal historic preservation officer Bettina Washington said the offshore wind farms planned for waters south of Martha’s Vineyard have detrimental effects on tribal culture. “Tribally speaking, this is our sacred place,” Washington said about the Island’s land and water. “That’s cultural viewshed for us.”
Washington listed off potential harm the project could inflict, including the endangered North Atlantic right whales, submerged archaeological sites, and tourism.
“If this is the only [public] meeting on the Island … how is it that there are only 12 Islanders here? Just wondering how this was advertised. That doesn’t seem correct,” Welch said, concluding the comments.
The Times asked BOEM public affairs specialist Lissa Eng whether an abridged version of the draft EIS will be made available, considering the full statement is 598 pages, and the appendix is 1,788 pages long. Eng said no, but “synthesized information” will be available in the BOEM Virtual Meeting room, which is also where public hearing information is. The public can also ask BOEM questions directly, and their contact information is on the BOEM Contact Us page. Comments can be submitted online at regulations.gov or in writing enclosed in an envelope labeled “Revolution Wind COP DEIS” and addressed to Program Manager, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166.
