The Biden and Murphy administrations continue to ignore a spate of unexplained whale deaths at the Jersey Shore (nine since early December, most recently in Brigantine), but Congressman Jeff Van Drew (R, NJ-02) intends to press the issue.
Congressman Van Drew announced on Friday that he plans to hold a South Jersey hearing on March 16th to probe offshore wind projects off the coast of New Jersey. Van Drew is also introducing federal legislation to suspend present and future projects.
“The unknown impacts of these offshore wind projects raises serious concerns, especially after 18 whales have washed ashore near where surveying is taking place, six of which have been in New Jersey,” said Van Drew in a statement. “These projects will have substantial impacts on the local tourism industry, the fishing industry, and the surrounding environment. As Vice Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am holding these hearings in order to discover what exactly these impacts will be and to determine what additional pieces of legislation will be adequate to address the issue.”
The precise time and location of the hearing is forthcoming.
A recent forum featuring Van Drew and other regional leaders speaking on the topic fetched an audience of over 500+ on Super Bowl weekend.
