Empire Wind

Empire Wind's environmental protection statement states: The offshore wind industry adheres to stringent marine mammal mitigation measures – stronger regulation than any other marine industry in the Atlantic.  There is heavy vessel traffic around the populous East Coast, and particularly in the New York and New Jersey coastal area, which includes major shipping lanes and various types of large commercial freight. Offshore wind vessels make up less than 1% of that marine traffic.

Empire Wind takes action to protect marine mammals through: 

• Collaboration with marine scientists – By working closely with organizations like Wildlife Conservation Society and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the marine environment is carefully monitored using acoustic receivers to record the presence of whales. Empire Wind partners with New England Aquarium’s tracking program of highly migratory marine species. 
• Implementation of sophisticated technology – Empire Wind deploys passive acoustic monitoring buoys with the Empire Wind lease area to obtain near real-time whale acoustics. 

When marine wildlife are observed, the following actions are taken:

• If marine mammals are observed while a vessel is underway, the vessel must attempt to remain parallel to the animal’s course, avoid excessive speed, or abrupt changes in direction until the animal has left the area. If marine mammals are sighted within the relevant separation distance, the vessel must reduce speed and shift the engine to neutral, not engaging the engines until animals are clear of the area.
  • Geophysical survey equipment must be shut down when marine mammals are observed approaching or within “Exclusion Zones” ~1,600 ft (500 m) for North Atlantic right whales or ~300 ft (100 m) for all other species).
• Independent and NMFS-approved Protected Species Observers (PSOs) on duty to enforce Exclusion Zones, document all marine mammal observations, and report to NOAA Fisheries on marine mammal observations.
• Vessel speeds reduced to 10 knots or less when mother/calf pairs, pods, or large assemblages of whales/dolphins observed near the vessel.
• Vessels must maintain a minimum separation distance of ~1,600 ft (500 m) from right whales and ~300 ft (100 m) from all other whale species.

Additionally, Equinor and BP have publicly released results of two years of detailed data of wave heights, currents, wind speeds, and wind direction collected by buoys south of Long Beach and east of Montauk, NY. Data is available here.