National Organizations Call Upon Feds to Halt Review of Cape Wind
Friday, April 10, 2009

APNS Press Release

HYANNIS, MA -- Local stakeholders have long opposed the Cape Wind project for the unacceptable threats it poses to local Tribes and public safety - and now several national organizations have requested a halt to any further action on the costly proposal.

In support of the Aquinnah and Mashpee Wampanoag Tribes, the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET), a coalition of 25 federally-recognized Tribes, has objected to the proposed Cape Wind location due to unavoidable cultural, religious, and archaeological impacts. In a February 12, 2009, resolution, USET called upon the Department of Interior (DOI) to halt any further action on Cape Wind stating that the project “will forever change the physical integrity of the Sacred Site." The Aquinnah and Mashpee Wampanoag Tribes have long stated the project would desecrate their religious freedoms as a sovereign nation spiritually connected to Nantucket Sound.

The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), the national trade group representing U.S.-flagged passenger vessels, recently issued a resolution calling upon DOI’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) to refrain from issuing a permit for Cape Wind.  In its February 17, 2009, resolution, PVA restated its enduring opposition to Cape Wind because of the project's "hazardous impact on navigation and safety of passengers on ferry vessels." The Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Cruises, the local ferry operators that transport 3 million passengers a year between Cape Cod and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, have opposed Cape Wind because of its close proximity to ferry routes and interference to navigational radar.

Echoing the concerns of local airports, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), which represents two thirds of all pilots in the U.S., urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a final determination of hazard for Cape Wind because of radar interference and impacts to visual flight rule (VFR) flights.  In a March 20, 2009, letter to FAA, AOPA wrote that they oppose the project “due to the negative impact on both VFR operations as well as the impacts on air traffic radar systems that serve flight operations into Barnstable Municipal, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Memorial Airport." In February 2009, FAA issued a presumed hazard determination for the Cape Wind project due to radar interference to the 400,000 flights that travel over Nantucket Sound annually.

The Alliance and a growing chorus of stakeholders - including the Wampanoag Tribes, Massachusetts Historical Commission, and local towns - have called for MMS to consider a deepwater alternative location for the Cape Wind project, which would protect public safety, preserve Tribal interests, and enable our nation to pursue responsible, affordable offshore renewable energy. Click the following links to view the referenced documents: USET, PVA, and AOPA documents.

Media Contact: Audra Parker 508.280.9082