Voting 6-1, Brigantine City Council approved a resolution at its Oct. 18 meeting to enter into a shared services agreement with Long Beach Township to engage in litigation against the development of the proposed Atlantic Shores offshore wind project.
Brigantine is joined by the Boroughs of Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Surf City, Ship Bottom and Beach Haven, with Long Beach Township serving as the lead agent for the shared services agreement.
Long Beach Township has retained Pashman Stein Walter Hayden for legal representation for litigation that will focus on opposition to the Atlantic Shores offshore wind project, as well as those government agencies that are endorsing and approving the projects.
“First and foremost, this is a nonpartisan issue, with people on both sides of the aisle, from all over the state, voicing their concerns about the negative impacts these offshore wind projects will have on the environment and our local economy,” Brigantine Mayor Vince Sera said in a news release.
“Second, even the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management admits that these offshore wind projects will have no positive impact on climate change or the reduction of global warming.” Sera continued, “The city has tried to collaborate with the Governor’s Office and the offshore wind companies to negotiate a plan that would minimize the negative impacts of these projects. And they have all made it very clear that they don’t care what we have to say.”
Brigantine City Councilman Neal Kane also commented: “I don’t think that there is anyone on this Council that is against clean energy. There have been great strides in technology over the years enabling this to come to fruition. However, for any government or private entity to consider the possible benefits of clean energy, there has to be an honest, in-depth analysis performed.”
“Not only on the cost to the taxpayer, but also the environmental and commercial impacts that it may have on communities that are affected, Kane added. “As these projects currently stand, they will provide crushing financial and environmental/commercial impacts to our beach communities.”
Katie Finnegan, president of Defend Brigantine Beach, praised Sera and the members of Brigantine City Council who voted in favor of the resolution.
“They recognize the significant damages that these industrial wind turbines less than nine miles off of our coast will have on the marine environment, commercial and recreational fishing, local shore economies, and real estate values, not to mention the significant increases in energy ratepayers’ bills,” Finnegan said.
Keith Moore, director of government affairs for Defend Brigantine Beach, said the shared services agreement “sends a very strong message to Trenton and to the federal government that our seashore towns will not tolerate these behaviors by our elected officials, and also Atlantic Shores and Orsted.”
“This shared services agreement is an excellent way for our beach communities to unite and fight together,” Moore said. “I sincerely hope that the mayors and elected officials of other affected New Jersey shore communities will read this and consider joining in the agreement as well. I also urge the Atlantic County Commissioners to step up and lead this charge for Atlantic County, as Cape May County just did. All of our elected officials need to engage. The time for moratoriums is over. It is time to act.”
