Officials raise concerns as environmental review of LIPA windpark moves forward

Bellone at press conference raising his concerns. Saying a proposal to put up 40, 400-foot windmills off of Babylon's ocean beaches would "industrialize Long Island's shoreline, and potentially cause farreaching environmental consequences." Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone is pressing for a comprehensive study of the plan. Instead, said Bellone, the applicant, Florida, Power and Light (FPL) in partnership with LIPA is doing all it can to avoid responding to some of the most serious issues as the environmental review process moves forward.

Standing at a press conference on the steps of Town Hall last week, Bellone outlined his concerns. He said the company has canceled radar surveys of the site to study the impact on migratory birds, and declined to give the public a full accounting of the cost benefits, an issue critical to Long Island, which is paying some of the highest costs for energy in the nation. In addition, Bellone called for an independent third party to monitor the environmental process.

Bellone's comments came after the close of the comment period for the controversial plan and as the review process moved forward. He said that he, as well as many other local officials and residents, had testified during the scoping process, raising these issues, but that FPL's initial responses indicate they are not being addressed. In comments to the Minerals Management Service, the lead agency in the study, FPL urged that the site-specific environmental studies be eliminated and that they self-regulate environmental issues, independently collect wind data and not be obliged to share it with the public, based on their belief that the information is proprietary.

Steve Stengel, a spokesman for FPL declined to comment specifically on Bellone's comments, except to say that his company is committed to a full and comprehensive review of the project.

"It is MMS that determines the scope of the study that will be conducted to assess the environmental impacts of this project, and MMS has determined that a full EIS will be conducted," he said. "(LIPA) Chairman Kessel has been very open and public about his desire for a full environmental review, and FPL supports that."

LIPA echoed those comments saying that Long Island, which is heavily dependent upon foreign oil for its growing demand for energy, should take advantage of this energy resource.

The second of a one-two punch at the project last week came from S.C. Leg. Wayne Horsley who called for a moratorium on the study based on evidence that the electronic comments filed by the public during the environmental review process may have not been received by the MMS.

Doug Slitor, MMS Project Director told Horsley that the problem came to his attention last month. "It has become apparent that our electronic comment submission system has some weaknesses," he said, adding that the agency also has a manpower shortage and has not been able to load all of the comments for viewing.

"In light of this new information, I am calling for a moratorium on the project and request that the scoping process be reopened to the public to ensure that all public comments are received and reviewed," said Horsley.

Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Minerals Management Service has responsibility for acting as lead agency on the project. That was made clear by FPL officials from the outset who said they would not be required to undergo the state's environmental review process, which according to Bellone, would have included a much more rigorous review.

Pressed by reporters at the press conference for his opinion on wind energy, Bellone said he had an open mind on the issue but that in this specific case, "I have some grave and serious concerns."