Vineyard Wind 720' Turbines Risk To Military Radar Unanswered

Vineyard Wind 720 Foot Ocean Turbines Pose Risk To Military Radar Unanswered

US Joint Chiefs of Staff Needs To Provide Testimony To Senate Over Radar Interference With Ocean Wind Turbines Is National Security At Risk

BOEM

REVISED NAVIGATIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT: Prepared for Vineyard Wind July 24, 2018

7.2.3.2.2 Military Aviation: Operation and Maintenance

NYSERDA states: “During operation, impacts on radar within and near WTGs can mask real structures or produce false echoes.”

The document also notes that “The USCG found moderate impairment to radar of vessels operating within the array but concluded that the impact could be reduced through mitigation.

Typical mitigation measures identified included traffic management measures, such as recommended vessel routes and specially marked traffic lanes, establishment of a control center to maintain monitoring during operation, and educational measures to provide mariners information on navigation safety issues related to travel within and near the wind farm” (NYSERDA, 2017, page A-31). In a research study for the DOE, scientists at the University of Texas at Austin evaluated the impact of large wind farms on various parameters, including radar.

The paper indicates that “marine navigation radars and ocean monitoring HF sensors may experience interference under certain proximity and operating conditions as the result of typical wind farm configurations” (Ling, Hamilton, Bhalla, Brown, Hay, Whitelonis, Yang, Naqvi. 2013, p. 28).

https://www.boem.gov/webteam/Vineyard%20Wind/Vineyard-Wind-COP-Appendix-III-I-Nav-Risk-Assessment.pdf
Nantucket, Massachusetts -- Finding of Adverse Effect for the Vineyard Wind Project Construction and Operations

Plan Revised June 20, 2019

page 37

4.1 Adverse Effects to the Nantucket NHL, Gay Head Lighthouse, and Chappaquiddick TCP Based on the information BOEM has available from the completed identification of historic properties within the viewshed APE of the proposed Project, and the assessment of effects upon those properties determined in consultation with the consulting parties, BOEM has found that the proposed Project would have a direct adverse visual effect to the Gay Head Lighthouse, Nantucket NHL, and Chappaquiddick TCP.

The undertaking would affect the character of the properties’ setting that contributes to their historic significance; and the undertaking introduces visual elements that are out of character with the historic setting of the properties. Due to the distance and open viewshed, the integrity of the properties would not be so diminished as to disqualify any of them for NRHP eligibility

https://www.boem.gov/Vineyard-...

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