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Enviros Calling on Public to Submit Comments By July 22
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[Long Island, NY] A coalition of local, state and national environmental groups expressed their satisfaction with a series of six Open Houses held to provide information to the public on the proposed Long Island Offshore Wind Park. The member groups of the Long Island Offshore Wind Initiative (LIOWI) are now urging the public to submit comments on the proposed wind park to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Comments must be received on or before July 22, 2005.
“The six Open House sessions presented an excellent opportunity for people to learn more about this exciting clean energy project, and we are glad that hundreds of people attended, asking important questions and providing comment,” said Gordian Raacke, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Long Island (RELI) who attended all six Open Houses. “For those that were unable to come to the events last week, we have posted information on our website and folks should download the official Army Corps ‘Public Comment Form’ to express their feelings about the offshore wind park.”
The coalition of environmental organizations known as the Long Island Offshore Wind Initiative, had asked LIPA in 2001 to study the feasibility of turning abundant ocean breezes into pollution-free electricity. Encouraged by the results of two studies and LIPA’s support for an offshore wind park that would provide enough electricity to power 44,000 homes, LIOWI conducted dozens of meetings all over Long Island to inform the public about the planned project, receiving mostly positive reactions.
Representatives of LIOWI member groups were available during all Open House sessions to answer questions about environmental issues and to listen to public comments. Several posters explained the environmental benefits of renewable energy sources and offshore wind power.
“Hundreds of members of the public from all around Long Island attended these forums and asked many diverse and pertinent questions concerning this important energy project,” stated Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “The Wind Park will allow Long Island to move a giant step closer to meeting the Island’s growing energy needs with clean, completely safe, domestic energy from the wind. In years to come, Long Islanders will be proud of this milestone project,” Esposito added.
Several hundred people attended the six informational Open Houses, held during afternoons and evenings in Robert Moses State Park, Copiague, and Massapequa. The Open Houses were organized by LIPA and the developer, FPL Energy, with representatives from Army Corps and the environmental groups in attendance.
"On Long Island, community and environmental organizations have long developed a reputation for fighting in opposition to things; it is unprecedented that today, so many environmental organizations have come together to work towards the goal of building the Nation's first off-shore wind park," said Neal Lewis, Executive Director of the Long Island Neighborhood Network. "It is exciting to see Long Island providing leadership in promoting clean and renewable sources of energy."
The proposal has received consistently high approval ratings from the general public. In an April 14, 2005 Cablevision News 12 web poll, 82% of those polled said they “support installing energy producing windmills off the Island's South Shore”, and a Newsday web poll found 87% supportive of LIPA’s offshore wind project. In addition to support from environmental groups, offshore wind energy production is also supported by the Island’s leading business and labor organizations such as the Long Island Association, Hauppauge Industrial Association, Long Island Mid-Suffolk Business Association and the Nassau/Suffolk Building and Construction Trades Council.
“These Open Houses were yet another opportunity for Long Islanders to participate in the decision making process”, stated Eric Bruzaitis, Regional Organizer for the New York Public Interest Research Group. “NYPIRG, alongside numerous local, state and national environmental groups, wants to see the Long Island wind park move forward because it sets the stage for a new era of clean, sustainable energy generation that protects our health, environment and quality of life”.
While many offshore wind projects operate successfully in Europe, there are only two proposed projects in the U.S. The application for the Long Island wind park was submitted on April 26 by LIPA and FPL Energy to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which initiates an open regulatory and environmental review process with extensive opportunities for public review and comment.
More information about the offshore wind park and the Long Island Offshore Initiative, including the ‘Public Comment Form’ is at Click Here for the Public Comment Form and more info
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