STATE ENERGY AND ENVRIONMENTAL OFFICIALS HOST FEDERAL OFFICIALS FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS ON THE OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
MEDIA ADVISORY
| WHAT: | Officials of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) will host the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for a series of public meetings in Boston, New Bedford, Vineyard Haven, and Nantucket during the week of November 12, 2012. The goals of the meetings are to provide an overview of the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Massachusetts Offshore Wind Energy Area, receive public comment, and discuss next steps in the environmental and leasing process. The EA, which was released by BOEM on October 31, 2012, analyzes potential environmental effects associated with renewable energy leasing and data gathering in the designated Wind Energy Area in federal waters off the coast of Massachusetts. The session will include presentations from BOEM followed by a public comment period. In addition, EEA will host meetings of its fisheries and habitat working groups on offshore renewable energy in New Bedford and Falmouth, respectively. Both working groups were formed by EEA to inform the federal offshore wind development process. BOEM’s Environmental Assessment for Potential Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Massachusetts can be found at: http://www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/State-Activities/Massachusetts.aspx. Other information and documents on the planning and leasing process can be found on the same site. |
| WHO: | EEA Assistant Secretary for Federal Affairs Bill White Office of Coastal Zone Management Director Bruce Carlisle Division of Marine Fisheries Deputy Director David Pierce Representatives from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management |
| WHEN: | BOEM Public Meeting - Boston BOEM Public Meeting – New Bedford Fisheries Working Group BOEM Public Meeting – Vineyard Haven Habitat Working Group BOEM Public Meeting – Nantucket |
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