Statement from Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan on the US Wind $20 Million MOU to Support Local Fisherman

Ocean City, MD

“The Town of Ocean City has reviewed the Memoranda of Understanding between US Wind and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources with our commercial fisherman and just as we have stated that “Ocean City is not for sale”, the Waterman’s Association has clearly responded that they are also “Not for sale”.

Typical of US Wind’s approach to Ocean City’s concerns, instead of making meaningful changes to their project to protect our local fisherman, US Wind simply throws money at a problem and hopes it will go away. This is just another attempt by US Wind to buy their way around due process.

And just where is all of this money being promised coming from? Maryland Ratepayers will be paying a “Wind Tax” to continue to subsidize US Wind. All of this to build a project that will be neither reliable, sustainable or economically feasible.

This MOU further substantiates our law suit against the Department of Interior. This entire project was poorly thought out and then fast tracked through the Federal approval process. This is just one of the many issues that were not properly addressed. We believe that the approval process also neglected to take the negative, and long-lasting effects, to our view shed, our economy, our eco system, and national security into proper consideration.

If, God forbid, this project is built, the next generation of Marylanders will be looking at a wind farm burial ground off of our coast. We cannot let this happen.”

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