Hundreds attend session on offshore wind project in Ocean City
OCEAN CITY, N.N. (CBS) -- Hundreds came out Wednesday night in Ocean City for an information session on the proposed development of the state's first offshore wind project.
Ocean Wind One would include 98 wind mills and three turbines 15 miles off the shore of Brigantine and Ocean City.
Wednesday night was the first of several information sessions. Many residents who came out where pushing for a 90 days pause in the project following the death of several whales that washed ashore this winter.
Protesters outside joined hundreds inside the Ocean City Tabernacle for a public hearing about wind company Orsted's development of 98 wind mills and three turbines off the coasts of Brigantine and Ocean City.
"This affects everybody that owns here, that rents here, that has a business here," a man said.
Many voiced concerns about health, tourism, energy and environmental side effects.
"I know we're not getting all the information and that's really heart-sickening," Suzanne Hornick, the founder of Protect our Coast NJ, said.
According to NOAA, more than 20 whales have washed ashore this winter. While the oceanic agency says there is no evidence linking offshore wind development, including sonar mapping of the ocean floor to the deaths, many dispute that.
"Causes them to become agitated, confused, disoriented separated from their pod, it can cause them not to eat to starve to die," Hornick said.
"There's so many unknowns," Michael Donahue, the special counsel of Ocean County, said.
Donahue shared renderings of what the completed project would look like. For right now, he's seeking more information to many open questions before any more development happens.
"We need to get this right because by the time they are all built, there's a 100 or 200 of these out there, it's too late," Donahue said.
CBS Philadelphia reached out to Orsted for a comment but have yet to hear back.
Another information session will take place Thursday in Wildwood at 2 p.m.
