By FRANK CARINI/ecoRI News staff
The Block Island Wind Farm is a 30-megawatt, demonstration-scale
offshore wind farm to be sited 3 miles southeast of
The sitting of turbines for the
“We
know where the environmentally sensitive areas are,” said Jeffrey
Grybowski, senior vice president for strategy and external affairs for
Deepwater Wind. “Environmental concerns are part of the discussion, but
there are trade-offs. The construction of the Block Island Wind Farm
will for the most part shut down one of the dirtiest forms of energy we
have — diesel.” Diesel-powered generators supply
The Ocean SAMP area is an ecologically unique region that contains an
interesting biodiversity that is a mix of northern, cold-water species
and southern, warm-water species. Any offshore renewable energy
development could result in temporary or permanent habitat displacement
or modification during the construction, operation or decommissioning of
a facility, according to the document.
Water quality around an offshore renewable energy facility may
potentially be impacted if illegal dumping or accidental spills occurs
from vessels or equipment. Birds may potentially be displaced from
offshore feeding, nesting, migratory staging or resting areas.
Juvenile fish and eggs in the Ocean SAMP area are rich and varied, and
show strong seasonality for many species, which is most often linked to
reproduction. The adult fish community in Ocean SAMP waters is dynamic
and diverse, but has undergone a major change during the past several
decades. Bottom-dwelling fish such as winter flounder were once
dominant. Since the mid-1970s, however, there has been a shift towards
pelagic fish species dominance, with a corresponding increase in
bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as crabs and lobster. The dominant
fish species are now bluefish, butterfish and sea robins. Marine mammals
— whales, dolphins, porpoises and seals — appear in the Ocean SAMP area,
but sparsely and generally on a seasonal basis. But the impact of
offshore wind farms on marine mammals and fish are relatively new, and
in most cases still under development, according to the Ocean SAMP.
Among the high-priority concerns regarding the construction and
operation of a wind farm — whether it’s the five-turbine one off Block
Island or a potential commercial-scale operation — is the impact on
He said Deepwater Wind will monitor work areas during the construction
of the Block Island Wind Farm and if any right whales or other marine
mammals are spotted, work will be stopped and all sonar turned off.
Marine mammals have highly developed acoustic sensory systems, which
enable individuals to communicate, navigate, orient, avoid predators and
forage in an environment where sound propagates far more efficiently
than light, according to the Ocean SAMP.
Underwater noise will likely be generated during all stages of an
offshore renewable energy facility, including during pre-construction,
construction and operation. The strength and duration of the noise will
vary depending on the activity, from pile-driving, which will result in
short periods of intense noise, to the long-term, low-level noise
associated with operational activities. To help mitigate potential
impacts on marine mammals, especially to large whales such as right,
humpback and fin, pile-driving will be done above the water column,
Grybowski said.
Stone commended the Ocean SAMP research, but also noted that it doesn’t
take the place of a formal wind farm environmental impact statement,
which will need to be completed before any offshore large-scale
commercial wind farm is built. He also said the environmental costs of
installing wind farms must be compared with the true costs of continuing
to use fossil fuels.
“We understand that renewable energy is critical to our future, and we
think there are ways to minimize the environmental impacts,” Stone said.
Source: http://www.ecori.org/renewable-energy/2011/9/12/what-is-the-environmental-impact-of-offshore-wind.html