BOEM: Empire Wind’s Secrecy Is A-OK with Us

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management finally responds to my questions about the Empire Wind project having a “major fault” running beneath it!

The semi-submersible crane vessel Thialf, which arrived May 26 on the East Coast to pound monopiles into the seabed off New York and New Jersey for Empire Wind. Photo Bill Thompson

Thursday’s post, Empire Wind’s Shaky Secret, revealed that the Empire Wind project, off the coasts of New Jersey and New York, has a potentially active “major fault” running right through a portion of the lease area, and that Equinor, Tetra-Tech and Empire Wind have been keeping all information about that little detail hush-hush.

Shortly after the story was published, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) informed me via email that as part of BOEM’s regulations, Empire Wind’s Construction and Operations Plan (COP) must “identify and assess geologic hazards in the project area.”

And where would such information be?

But of course — in that mysterious Marine Site Investigation report, a.k.a. appendix H, which it has not made available to the public. Nevertheless, I asked the BOEM press officer if I could obtain a copy. Here was her reply:

“The marine site investigation report (MSIR) contains confidential information and therefore, is not publicly available. We refer you to Empire Wind for specific questions on the MSIR.”

Aside from the all-inclusive “confidential information” excuse, no other reason for keeping the public unaware of its plans to construct an offshore wind farm over the New York Bight fault was given. And neither of the other parties involved – Equinor and Tetra-Tech — appear to have any interest in responding to the question, either.

But to make its confidentiality complete, Empire Wind also redacted large portions in other official documents that are referred to as “geological conditions offshore” of the project area.

Along with the New York Bight fault, which was identified in 1982, geophysicist and seismology expert Dr. Klaus Jacob noted that the “entire East Coast is fundamentally prone to earthquakes…which can occur almost anywhere because our coast is so riddled with ancient faults.”

You can read the full story here, and if you find it informative, be sure to hit the “like” button. The more likes and comments received, the more Substack will promote posts.

Photos below (courtesy of Bill Thompson) are of the monstrous, semi-submersible crane vessel Thialf, which arrived in Rhode Island on May 26 on its way to pound monopiles into the seabed off New York Harbor for Empire Wind.