(PartiallyPolitics.com) Mayor of Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Paul Kanitra has argued that corporations could make billions of dollars by investing in offshore wind. However, many have argued that these investments might be the reason for the 18 whale deaths in 2 months.
Local residents in the coastal New Jersey town have called for a pause on offshore wind energy development until the cause of the whale deaths has been determined. In a recent rally in Point Pleasant Beach, lawmakers, local officials, and environmentalists all speculated that the construction may have played a role in at least 10 of the deaths in the past two months. The whales have been discovered dead in New Jersey and New York, with additional dead whales being discovered in East Coast states, including Maryland and Virginia.
On Sunday during the rally Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., noted that this situation has been a grave message. He added that there needed to be greater transparency and accountability regarding Governor Murphy’s plan to have the New Jersey coast act as the location for the “offshore wind industry in the U.S.” He also noted the concern about how the new development could lead to damages in the ecosystem, which is even more concerning currently if one notes the deaths of the at least 10 whales in the past couple of months. He continued to say that the destruction of the marine ecosystem would also have a big effect on New Jersey’s fishing and tourism businesses if thousands of wind turbines are installed on its coast.
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