In response to a ninth dead whale washing up on New Jersey beaches, Senator Jim Holzapfel and Assemblymen Greg McGuckin and John Catalano (all R-10) have called for Governor Murphy to put a moratorium on all offshore wind projects until the cause of the whales’ deaths can be determined.
In response to reports of a ninth dead whale washing up along the Jersey shore, Senator Holzapfel and Assemblymen McGuckin and Catalano have called on the Murphy Administration to halt all offshore wind projects. (NJ.com)
“Nine dead whales washing ashore in just over two months is more than a coincidence,” Senator Holzapfel stated. “Something in our waters is causing whales to die at an alarming rate. Until we can definitively say that the work related to these projects aren’t causing whales to die the governor should put a halt to all offshore wind projects.”
Since December, nine dead whales have washed up along the New York New Jersey coastline with the most recent occurring on February 13th in Manasquan.
“A moratorium must be placed on the offshore wind projects until we have a better understanding of why dead whales are washing up on our beaches,” added Assemblyman McGuckin. “The use of sonar mapping and other the work being done to produce these windfarms are the only factors that we’ve seen change in our waters. I find it difficult to believe that they aren’t having some kind of impact on marine wildlife.”
Despite growing calls for the Murphy administration to put a halt on offshore wind projects, Governor Murphy has vehemently denied that these projects have any relation to the alarming number of dead whales washing up on the New Jersey coastline.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,” Assemblyman Catalano said. “The Murphy administration continues to deny and deflect while taking no action to address why we’re seeing a new dead whale almost every week wash up on shore. It is disheartening that the Murphy administration cares more about protecting windfarms than protecting whales and other wildlife.”