Seventh whale washes ashore in New Jersey, sparking offshore wind opposition

Breanne Deppisch

January 13, 02:20 PM January 13, 02:20 PM

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New Jersey officials discovered a dead 25-foot humpback whale on the coast of Brigantine on Friday, bringing to seven the number of whales it has discovered on its shores in the last five weeks alone and prompting calls to halt development of offshore wind projects until the deaths can be investigated.

While New Jersey has no active wind turbines, several are in the works, as Gov. Phil Murphy (D) looks to deliver on his ambitious goal of reaching 11,000 megawatts of wind generation by 2040. That project is expected to include construction of 98 wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey.

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Officials said last month that two private companies are slated to submit proposals for additional projects, putting as many as 350 offshore wind turbines in the area.

Environmental groups are concerned that whales could be harmed in the process of building turbines, potentially from noise and sonar emissions during the pre-construction of turbines. There is also a heightened possibility of vessel strikes during the siting and construction process.

The string of deaths has led to demands that New Jersey temporarily halt construction of its offshore wind projects until an investigation can be conducted.

The dead whale reported Friday was found just miles from where two other humpback whales had washed up in Atlantic City in recent weeks, officials said.

Others have been found on the shores of Amagansett, New York, Rockaway Beach in Queens, and in Strathmere Beach, New Jersey, where a juvenile humpback whale was washed ashore.

The cause of death remains unknown, and oftentimes a determination can take months, officials said.

In a summary of the incident Friday, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said NOAA has been dispatched to work out logistics, and that “plans are underway for a necropsy to be performed[.]”

On Friday, state Sen. Vince Polistina (R-Atlantic) called for a suspension of all work related to offshore wind development until the cause of death is determined.

“The work related to offshore wind projects is the primary difference in our waters, and it’s hard to believe that the death of [the] whales on our beaches is just a coincidence,” Polistina said in a statement.

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U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Republican, also called for halt in offshore wind work.