Shinnecock Nation, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head/Aquinnah, Narragansett Tribe, ACK for Whales, and Green Oceans seek revocation of “Incidental Take Authorizations” for the Sunrise, Revolution, and New England Wind projects.

Three Native American tribes, the Shinnecock Nation, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head/Aquinnah, the Narragansett Tribe, ACK for Whales, and Green Oceans have petitioned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to revoke the authorizations granted to harass and harm whales and other marine mammals during the construction of the Sunrise, Revolution, and New England Wind projects.

In violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Letters of Authorization (LOAs) issued by NOAA allow the offshore wind developers to illegally “take” or harm an excessive number of marine mammals, including the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW), while building offshore wind projects..

The petition also provides hard evidence connecting the construction of offshore wind projects and the deaths of endangered NARW, of which there are fewer than 350 left and demonstrates that the government’s basis for allowing the LOAs relies on incomplete and flawed analysis.

“The collective harm from these projects will be devastating and likely irreversible if they are not stopped,” said Dr. Lisa Quattrocki Knight, co-founder and President of Green Oceans. “We urge Commerce Secretary Lutnick to look at the previous administration’s reckless permitting that threatens the health of our ocean and the animals that live there. The facts speak for themselves: these projects should not be allowed to proceed.”

On an annualized basis, Revolution Wind “takes” constitute approximately 12% of the NARW population, a figure that the courts and the National Marine Fisheries Service have said exceeds the statutorily allowed “small numbers.”

Over a five-year period, the combined “takes” by Revolution, Sunrise, and New England Wind constitute 61% of the NARW population alive today. Whales cannot discern the boundaries between projects so NOAA shouldn’t evaluate projects as one-offs in the same general lease area that will engage in construction activities at the same time.

“This is a death sentence for the Right Whales and an egregious violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act,” Dr. Knight said. “NOAA’s Letters of Authorization protect offshore wind investors at the expense of the environment. The law says the exact opposite.”

About Green Oceans

Green Oceans is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, community organization dedicated to combating climate change without jeopardizing the health of the ocean or the life it sustains.

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