(ConservativeSense.com) – The Pentagon has warned that several locations earmarked for wind farms could present problems to the military. For example, a spokesperson said proposals for farms along the Atlantic coast could be “highly problematic” due to their proximity to military sites. The Department of Defense said it would work with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to find more suitable locations.
A DoD statement explained that training operations could be affected if structures were constructed around the North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware coasts. Spokesperson Kelly Flynn said, “The initial assessment performed by DoD found complicated compatibility challenges with wind turbines near Navy and Air Force training.”
The warning adds weight to protests in New Jersey, where local people have demanded an end to the construction of new wind farms because of the threat to local wildlife.
Leaders in the region have protested against proposed wind farms for years, but Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy says they will go ahead. Protestors have publicly displayed photos of dead whales that have floated ashore and say the number of deaths is increasing.
Brick Wenzel, a longtime local fisherman, said whale carcasses in the water are a common sight. “One vessel said they had seen three different whales in one trip. Another had parts of a whale come up in their net. Most of the captains are generational fishers and are in their 60s — No one has heard of or [has] seen anything like the carnage being witnessed,” he added.
Wind farms have also been linked to harmful impacts on bat and bird populations. A study in Ontario in 2018 revealed that each turbine was responsible for the death of 5 birds and 12 bats per year. This meant that the 2,577 turbines in Ontario killed 13,400 birds and 30,150 bats annually. Last year, a US energy company accepted responsibility for the deaths of at least 150 bald and golden eagles. Both birds are protected under federal law.
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