EPA finds Maryland Dept. of Environment improperly issued permit for offshore wind project
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EPA finds Maryland Dept. of Environment improperly issued permit for offshore wind project
The U.S. Coast Guard issued a permit for offshore oil drilling off the coast of Maryland. The state of Maryland says it will appeal the decision. The Coast Guard says the decision was made without proper consultation with the state or the public. The State of Maryland is suing the Coast Guard for violating the state’s right to consult with the public before issuing a permit. The lawsuit is expected to be settled out of court in the coming months.
The EPA outlined multiple legal errors in the agency’s approval of the U.S. Wind permit in a letter issued to MDE Secretary Serena McIlwain.
Errors included providing misleading information about the public’s right to appeal under federal law.
Now, the EPA is requiring the MDE to reissue the permit in accordance with proper federal procedures or the permit could be invalidated on appeal.
Congressman Andy Harris issued a statement on the permit error:
The EPA has confirmed what many of us knew for years — this project was approved with glaring procedural and legal flaws. The Maryland Department of the Environment had no business directing the public to appeal a federal permit to a state court, and such a decision showed both incompetence and a disregard for public input from my affected constituents in Worcester County. For many years, my constituents across the First Congressional District have been overwhelmingly clear: they do not want offshore wind off their coast. This ruling is a major victory for the Eastern Shore, the environment, and our local economies that are existentially threatened by this project.
on the boardwalk that she might reconsider her beloved trips to Maryland’s beaches if the project were to go through.
“I feel [offshore wind] would ruin the travel industry because people don’t want to look at that when they’re sitting on the beach, enjoying the sun, riding the waves,” Corcoran said. “Nobody wants to see that out there.”
Previously, Adam Ortiz, the deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, told Spotlight on Maryland that the state fully intends to move forward with offshore wind despite opposition from individuals and Ocean City leaders.
“There is no question that we have rising energy demand,” Ortiz said. “We have AI, we have data centers, and a growing population, so we have to meet that demand. The question is how thoughtfully do we do it.”
You can read the full letter from the EPA here: