Contact: Black Swamp Bird Observatory: Kimberly Kaufman, Executive Director, 419-898-4070
One of the highest concentrations of nesting Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states, along with many other bird species, could be at risk from Lake Erie's first proposed offshore wind energy project. Photo by rbrown10/Shutterstock
(Cleveland, Ohio, July 18, 2018) Bird conservation groups will be raising concerns about the impact on birds from Lake Erie's first proposed offshore wind project, “Icebreaker,” tomorrow at a public hearing before the Cleveland City Council. Black Swamp Bird Observatory and American Bird Conservancy found numerous problems with the project's environmental assessment (EA); the inadequacy of the EA's science and process will be the basis for the joint testimony to be submitted by BSBO's Don Bauman and Mark Shieldcastle.
“We reject the EA's claim that this wind energy facility would have ‘little to no impact'” on birds, said Kimberly Kaufman, Black Swamp Bird Observatory's Executive Director, citing the critical importance of Lake Erie to migratory birds such as the endangered Kirtland's Warbler.
Five recent advanced radar studies conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have recorded vast numbers of migratory birds and bats within 5 to 10 miles of the Great Lakes shorelines, including Lake Erie. Many were flying within the rotor-swept area of wind turbines.
“The six-turbine Icebreaker project poses a larger threat to wildlife than is now indicated in the documents,” said Kaufman. “But the planned expansion of offshore wind energy to over 1,000 turbines will have even more major impacts to birds that breed and migrate across Lake Erie, and that must be addressed.”
The organizations highlighted five major concerns about the EA in their comments, which were submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Energy:
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Black Swamp Bird Observatory is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit whose mission is to inspire the appreciation, enjoyment, and conservation of birds and their habitats through research, education, and outreach.
American Bird Conservancy is dedicated to conserving birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. With an emphasis on achieving results and working in partnership, we take on the greatest problems facing birds today, innovating and building on rapid advancements in science to halt extinctions, protect habitats, eliminate threats and build capacity for bird conservation.
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