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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 6 July 2023

U.S. gives go-ahead for Orsted’s New Jersey offshore wind farm to

start construction

By WAYNE PARRY today’s approval for the
Associated Press Ocean Wind I project is
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) another milestone in our
— The federal govern- efforts to create good-pay-
ment gave the go-ahead ing union jobs while com-
Wednesday for New Jer- bating climate change
sey’s first offshore wind and powering our nation,”
farm to begin construction, said U.S. Interior Secretary
clearing the way for the Deb Haaland.
first of at least three — and The Bureau of Ocean En-
likely many more — such ergy Management said
projects in a state trying Orsted will compensate
to become the East Coast fishing businesses for lost
leader in wind energy. revenues and reimburse
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean them for lost or damaged
Energy Management ap- gear. The company also
proved a construction and will create a navigational
operations plan for Ocean safety fund for equipment
Wind I, a wind farm to be upgrades, the bureau said.
built by Danish wind energy The project would place
company Orsted between nearly 100 wind turbines off
13 and 15 miles off the the coast of southern New
coast of Atlantic City. The Jersey, where they would
wind farm would power be visible from the tourist
500,000 homes. havens of Atlantic City and
Additional approvals from Ocean City.
the Bureau of Ocean En- Land-based windmills turn in the wind in Atlantic City, N.J., on April 28, 2022. That has generated fierce
ergy Management, the U.S. Associated Press opposition from commu-
Army Corps of Engineers, nity groups, most of whom
the National Marine Fish- a spokesman for the New project in the U.S., joining promise of good-paying also blame site preparation
eries Service, and the U.S. Jersey Department of Envi- the Vineyard Wind project jobs, local investment and work for a spate of whale
Environmental Protection ronmental Protection. Two in Massachusetts and the clean energy,” said David deaths since December. At
Agency still must be ob- minor state permits remain South Fork Wind project Hardy, the company’s CEO least 60 whales have died
tained, which Orsted esti- outstanding. in Rhode Island and New for the Americas. on the U.S. East Coast since
mates will happen by the The Bureau of Ocean Ener- York, both of which are “Since day one, the Biden- then. But three federal and
second quarter of 2024. gy Management’s action now under construction. Harris administration has one state agency all say
The project already has all represents the third federal Orsted said it plans to begin worked to jump-start the there is no evidence linking
of the major state permits approval of a commercial- construction in New Jersey offshore wind industry the deaths with offshore
it needs, said Larry Hajna, scale offshore wind energy this fall, “delivering on the across the country, and wind preparations.q

Atlanta police: Motorcycle fires started by ‘anarchists’ aimed at

stopping new training center

Schierbaum said Wednes- fire as well but were spot- planned $90 million training
day. ted by a bystander. center would replace in-
Schierbaum spoke at a Since the weekend, mem- adequate training facilities
news conference with At- bers of the same group and help address difficul-
lanta Mayor Andre Dick- have also tried to intimi- ties in hiring and retaining
ens and Bureau of Alcohol, date contractors connect- police officers that wors-
Tobacco, Firearms and Ex- ed to the training center ened after nationwide pro-
plosives Special Agent In project by flattening tires, tests against police brutal-
Charge Ben Gibbons. The vandalizing a home, spray- ity and racial injustice three
bureau, along with the FBI, ing graffiti and setting fire years ago.
is helping investigate the to construction equipment, Opponents say they worry
vandalism. Schierbaum said. it will lead to greater mili-
Homemade “incendiary Schierbaum cited web tarization of the police and
devices” caused a fire postings taking responsibil- that its construction will ex-
early Saturday at Atlanta ity for the vandalism as evi- acerbate environmental
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum speaks to reporters near police’s current training dence they were connect- damage in a poor, ma-
the scene of a shooting, May 3, 2023, in Atlanta. center that destroyed the ed and said investigators jority-Black area. They are
Associated Press motorcycles, Dickens said. believe the same individu- hoping to force a referen-
By SUDHIN THANAWALA acts of vandalism in recent An hour earlier, vandals als carried out each act. dum on building the proj-
Associated Press days by a group of “anar- had smashed the windows “These acts are of a small ect. The “Stop Cop City” ef-
ATLANTA (AP) — A fire that chists” aimed at stopping of police vehicles at anoth- determined group that fort, which has been joined
destroyed eight Atlanta construction of a new pub- er location. Authorities be- does not represent a wider by activists from around the
Police Department motor- lic safety training center, lieve those involved intend- population,” he said. country, has gone on for
cycles was among several Atlanta Police Chief Darin ed to set those vehicles on Dickens and others say the more than two years. q