On Thursday, July 26th, the Eureka Times-Standard reported allegations of sex trafficking by employees of Crowley Marine Services, the parent company of the prospective leaseholder of Humboldt’s wind terminal, Crowley Wind Services. While the troubling history of Crowley’s workplace culture has been known for some time, the publicly available evidence suggests that high-level executives within Crowley were aware and complacent in allowing misconduct to thrive. These allegations, which picture a rotten company culture, are concerning and worthy of further investigation given the historical and present-day crisis of sex trafficking and Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) in California and the United States. They also give necessary reasons to consider reopening negotiations regarding port development.As an elected body, the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District’s responsibility lies with the people, community, and environment it represents. Native American Tribes are a vital constituent in this community, and the safety of our women, girls, and people is paramount. While offshore wind port development could benefit the community through jobs, an influx of money, and by fighting climate change, these potential benefits must not come at the expense of our people.Read More
The Newsom administration’s path to net-zero carbon emissions runs through one of the state’s poorer, most remote areas.A 300-foot tall smokestack from a defunct paper mill looms over the port in Humboldt Bay, a relic of the timber industry that once defined the northwestern corner of California along with the struggling salmon fishing industry and sputtering marijuana trade.But a gust of optimism has arrived in Humboldt County over plans to develop offshore wind at a depth and scale never before attempted in the world – sparking hope and anxiety in a region that has lived through repeated boom-and-bust cycles and ended up with one of the lower per-capita incomes in the state.
Read more …
On Wednesday, July 12 at 5:30 pm at the Wharfinger Building, the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District will hold a public scoping hearing on the Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed Humboldt Bay Marine Terminal in Samoa. The scoping process is the public's earliest opportunity to raise issues to be addressed in the DEIR, including potential environmental impacts, mitigation measures, and feasible alternatives.
Read more …
On Wednesday, a state government committee meeting in Sacramento featured several Humboldt County stakeholders to discuss the future of offshore wind power in the county. One particular concern McGuire addressed was Humboldt County’s electrical transmission lines, which would not be able to effectively transmit the power generated by offshore wind.“(The transmission lines are) antiquated. I will take a moment to say PG&E … if we’re looking at the Humboldt (County) call area, they have not kept up on their deferred maintenance, there is no way in hell that the current lines that we have available are going to be able to take on the additional load,” McGuire said.
Read more …
Humboldt's proposed offshore wind project would significantly reduce carbon emissions throughout California. But to ensure the success of offshore wind and to meet the promise of climate action, decision-makers must commit to a green port facility capable of building and servicing the turbines while not further contributing to greenhouse gas emissions or polluting Humboldt Bay.
Read more …