On Friday, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that the Department of Transportation has withdrawn or terminated $679 million for 12 offshore wind projects currently in various stages of development, essentially scuttling the promise of many in-development offshore wind projects in the U.S. in the near term.Those funds include $426.7 million for the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Terminal (an INFRA grant that would essentially pay for the construction and completion of the project) and $8.6 million for the Redwood Marine Terminal Project planning.Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Commissioner Greg Dale told the Times-Standard that the district would continue to work toward its project goals, hoping to fund the final construction phase of the project at a later date. He said that news of the withdrawal of funds had been disappointing but not altogether unexpected.“It’s kind of a bummer, but I’m not surprised after all the rhetoric we’ve heard over the last six, eight, 10 months,” Dale said.Dale said that the shift in policy away from offshore wind, a potential growth industry that could bolster local, state and nationwide manufacturing jobs, seems misguided and that, had the U.S. invested in solar manufacturing at a similar juncture 10 years ago, the nation would be manufacturing solar panels rather than importing them.“We believe in the project. We believe in the industry, and we want to see the industry thrive, so our goal would be to continue on as best we could,” Dale said. “We’d like to get the project permitted and through all the process, and then when it comes time that we could actually build the project (Dale noted that that phase is likely a decade away “at minimum”), we will cross that bridge when the time comes …“These are large infrastructure projects. We build lots of large infrastructure projects like offshore oil rigs in America. We can do that here, and it would be a boon for the whole West Coast, not just Humboldt Bay and not just California. It would be a boon for every port on the West Coast, small and large. So I think it’s a good utilization of our resources.”Keep Reading
When the California Fish and Game Commission took the unprecedented step of shuttering the North Coast's red abalone season back in 2017 due to a precipitous decline in the population amid the larger collapse of the region's kelp forests, there was hope that the temporary moratorium would give the fishery a chance to rebound.But, eight years later, the prized mollusks — and the delicate marine ecosystem on which they depend — are still struggling in the wake of what scientists have described as a "perfect storm" of ecological events that left vast swaths of once-thriving underwater worlds a mere shadow of their former biodiverse splendor.In response, the commission voted Aug. 14 to authorize the publication of a notice of intent to push back the fishery's reopening for a third time, setting in motion the regulatory process to extend the moratorium's sunset date until April of 2036.The new proposed timeline, if approved, goes into effect one day before the current closure expires on April 1, 2026, placing the last vestige of recreational abalone diving in the state off limits for another decade.Keep Reading
In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors adopted regulations aimed at reducing light pollution.The rules limit lighting that can be used outdoors in the unincorporated county in an attempt to halt light from beaming into neighboring homes and polluting the night sky.During a presentation, county planner Reanne Meighan said the ordinance is not attempting to prohibit outdoor lighting — rather, it aims to minimize unnecessary lighting and reduce light pollution, which inhibits the observation of stars and harms the circadian rhythm of humans and creatures alike.To do so, the regulations require outdoor lighting to be directed downward. Fixtures must be fully shielded, though there’s an exception if they contain a warmer lightbulb.The maximum lumens for outdoor bulbs are 1,100 for residential and 3,200 for commercial/industrial property, a slight tweak from an early draft.A central piece of the ordinance is adding a way to address light pollution from neighbors. It adds to the code a method to prevent light trespass, and requires lights to only be illuminated when they’re actively being used or for safety purposes. The ordinance has a number of exemptions for certain lights.Dark sky enjoyers spoke in support.Mark Wilson, vice president of the Astronomers of Humboldt, said, “It’s going to put Humboldt County in the forefront protecting the night skies, not only in the state, but nationally and internationally,” and called for the county to adopt a plan to gradually transform the government’s own bulbs to meet the requirements.Environmental organizations also applauded the effort.“The warm color temperature is really critical for migrating birds, in particular, which our region is so famous for,” said Jen Kalt, director of Humboldt Waterkeeper, during public comment. Humboldt Waterkeeper called for a few tweaks, like not allowing translucent shields on the warmer bulbs.The ordinance, which is relatively concise, can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/26ny66ndKeep Reading
Press release from the Yurok Tribe:The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved the Yurok Tribe Environmental Department’s application for Treatment as a State (TAS), granting the tribal agency the authority to establish and enforce water quality standards on the Yurok Reservation.“Treatment as a state significantly increases our capacity to protect and restore the lower Klamath River, which serves as the spiritual, cultural, and ecological foundation of our existence. We extend our sincere gratitude to the US EPA for its formal recognition of our sovereign authority and demonstrated ability to effectively regulate water quality within our homeland,” said Joseph L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “I also want to acknowledge our highly professional environmental and legal teams for completing the rigorous application process.”Based on a 1987 amendment to the Clean Water Act, TAS empowers the Yurok Tribe Environmental Department to assume the same authority as state governments in setting and enforcing environmental standards that apply to tribal lands and waters. The TAS designation enables the department to enforce the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act as well as other federal environmental laws. It strengthens the Tribe’s ability to improve the health of 44 miles of the Klamath River and several tributaries that flow through the Yurok Reservation.“We now have the authority to determine beneficial uses of water based on our cultural values, environmental priorities, and community needs,” said Yurok Tribe Environmental Department Director Louisa McCovey. “This achievement is the result of a multigenerational effort to regain our sovereign right to govern the natural resources of our homelands.”The EPA’s approval follows a rigorous review process of the Tribe’s capacity to manage environmental programs at a level equivalent to or better than states.Keep reading
On June 17, Canary Media reported that several anti-offshore wind groups—some with known ties to the fossil fuel industry—asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to cancel the $426 million federal INFRA grant for the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District’s (District) offshore wind heavy lift marine terminal project. The money, which can only be received once the District has completed environmental permitting and secured matching funds, would be used to construct the West Coast’s first offshore wind staging and integration terminal. While individual turbine components would be manufactured in many different locations, a staging and integration terminal acts as their final destination before they are all put together and the turbine is towed out to sea. The grant would also pay for community benefits such as remediation of the existing contaminated site, a new trail, and a community benefit program. According to analyses by the state and federal governments, Humboldt Bay is particularly well suited for a staging and integration terminal because there is no manmade obstruction blocking the mouth of the Bay.In their letter, the groups—none of which are based in Humboldt—falsely stated that the project was ineligible for the grant and argued that it was not in the public interest. Legacy environmental nonprofits like the Sierra Club, Audubon, NRDC, SLO Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, Environment California, Nature Conservancy, and others believe that responsibly developing the offshore wind industry is in the public interest because it is essential to decarbonizing our electricity supply and fighting climate change. Local environmental and community groups have successfully advocated for the terminal to use state-of-the-art technology to reduce emissions and protect the Bay and nearby communities. So, who are these out-of-the-area, anti-offshore wind groups who disagree?Keep reading
