Whether you support offshore wind energy or not, it is important to understand the scope of proposed projects and their potential impact.
Offshore wind has not been canceled or put on hold in New Jersey; it is moving full steam ahead. Construction of the onshore infrastructure in Monmouth County is scheduled to begin in 2025. A contractor will be selected by September 2024.
Atlantic Shores South, one of many planned projects for the East Coast, consists of 200 turbines over 900+ feet tall. (Almost the height of the Empire State Building.) Turbines of this size are untested in their ability to withstand Category 2, 3 and 4 hurricanes.
The project also includes four “large” offshore substations nearly 20 stories high, or 10 offshore substations over 16 stories high with the potential for “once-through” cooling systems that will discharge billions of gallons of hot water into the ocean per day.
The power generated by the industrial wind facility is slated to make landfall in Sea Girt, and travel through Sea Girt, Manasquan, Wall and Howell.
The transmission cables that will be buried beneath community streets will carry 6,400 megawatts of power – 10 times the electrical output of the recently closed Oyster Creek nuclear plant. Based on our research, no project of this magnitude has been tested and proven safe anywhere in the world.
These high voltage EMF cables will run within 10-15 yards of homes and recreational facilities, by three schools and underneath the Coast to Capital Bike Trail. Numerous studies have linked EMF exposure – even at very low frequencies – to cancer risk and damage to the central nervous system.
Atlantic Shores documents state that the power cables will operate at up to 349 milligauss, far above the 4 milligauss levels found potentially dangerous in studies. (Milligauss is how the magnetic component in EMF is measured.)
Construction of the onshore infrastructure will take years and create massive disruption to our communities, putting health, safety, property values and business at risk. See construction.
The project has been fast-tracked without the proper baseline science, a responsible pilot project, transparent communication or real community involvement.
The project has been fast-tracked without the proper baseline science, a responsible pilot project, transparent communication, or community engagement.
The World Health Organization and Institute of Research in Immunology & Cancer classified EMF exposure as “possibly carcinogenic.”
A 2022 meta-analysis found a twofold increase in childhood leukemia with exposure to extremely low frequency-magnetic fields.
Another study found that children of pregnant women exposed to 4 milligauss or higher were 14 times more likely to develop cancer within four years. Long-term exposure to high-voltage power lines increased the risk of fetal development disorders and central nervous system defects.