30 New Jersey Mayors Ask Congressmen to Pause Offshore Wind Activity Due to Whale Deaths

A man takes pictures of a dead whale in Lido Beach, N.Y., on Jan. 31, 2023. Seth Wenig/AP Photo

Thirty New Jersey mayors sent a letter to members of their congressional delegation on Feb. 21, asking that they pursue a moratorium on offshore wind activity.

The mayors are concerned about an unusual number of dead whales that have washed ashore and are asking that there be an investigation to ensure the clean energy activities aren’t a contributing factor in the deaths.

“The 30 undersigned mayors of New Jersey coastal communities stand united in their concern about the unprecedented number of whales that have washed ashore recently and call for an immediate moratorium on all offshore wind activities until an investigation is held by federal and state agencies that confidently determines these activities are not a contributing factor in the recent whale deaths,” the mayor said in their letter.

The group cited nine instances of dead whales that have washed up on the shores of New Jersey between early December and mid-February, saying it was an “unprecedented number of whale strandings [that] coincides with ongoing activity from acoustic survey vessels for the development of offshore wind.”

“While we are not opposed to clean energy, we are concerned about the impacts these projects may already be having on our environment,” they wrote. “We again urge you to take action now to prevent future deaths from needlessly occurring on our shorelines.”

Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey

The letter was sent to Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), and Chris Smith (R-N.J.) asking them to take action on the part of the coastal New Jersey mayors.

In total, at least 18 whales have washed up dead on the east coast of the United States in recent months, provoking worry from local politicians who asked for a halt on offshore wind farms, as The Epoch Times previously reported.

One of the humpback whales was found dead off the New Jersey and New York coastline on Jan. 30. The mammal was a male measuring up to 40 feet and weighing 29,000 pounds, according to the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMCS).

According to the AMCS, a team of biologists, including researchers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society, Center for Coastal Studies, Cornell University, and more, conducted a necropsy to understand what prompted the sudden death of the whale, and to rule out potential causes such as disease, toxins, emaciation, and human causes.

The results of the necropsy may take several weeks or longer, but researchers hope to find answers to the recent whale deaths: “This is the 2nd humpback whale to strand in New York since December 1,” the group said. “NOAA Fisheries and our stranding network partners are actively investigating the humpback whale Unusual Mortality Event, which has been ongoing since 2016.”

AMCS also addressed questions about whether the whale fatalities are connected to wind energy development but stated that there is no evidence to show that offshore wind operations are contributing to the mortality as of now.

Neither Menendez nor Booker responded to The Epoch Times’s request for comment.