Wind Developer Sues Cape May County Over Permits
CAPE MAY COUNTY, NJ — Ocean Wind 1 is suing Cape May County over a refusal to issue permits that the offshore wind developer says is a way to attempt to stop the project.
Click Here: converse shop
In a lawsuit filed in New Jersey Superior Court on July 3, Ocean Wind 1 accused the county and officials of de facto denying the permit by not issuing it, similar to Ocean Wind 1’s previous lawsuit against Ocean City also over a refusal to issue permits for the same thing. Read more: Ocean City Must Issue Permits For Offshore Wind, Judge Rules
The permit in question is for road opening to perform utility and environmental investigations in parts of 35th Street, Bay Avenue, and parts of Roosevelt Boulevard in Ocean City, and portions of Roosevelt Boulevard in Upper Township, which are all county-controlled roads.
Find out what's happening in Ocean Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Ocean Wind 1 had hoped to finish the work by the end of May, according to the lawsuit, as to not interfere with peak tourism season.
But they haven’t been able to begin their work, and the permit’s denial “is having a cascading and adverse effect on other permits and approvals needed for construction,” the lawsuit says.
Find out what's happening in Ocean Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The lawsuit also says that the county has not responded to Ocean Wind 1’s requests to issue the permit.
This continues to delay the construction of Ocean Wind 1, the lawsuit claims.
Ocean Wind 1 asks that the court order the county to immediately issue the permit so the investigative work can begin on or after Sept. 11, which is when the judge ruled the work to begin in the Ocean City-specific lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed days before the federal government officially approved the offshore wind project.
Cape May County has been outspoken in their opposition of the project, with the County Commissioners passing a resolution against it in May and continuing to add to their legal team to fight the windmills. Read more: Offshore Wind Fight Strengthens In Cape May County
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.