Developer begins survey for Cape Cod wind farm

Posted on 09 July 2012

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Although much of the dispute about the 130 wind turbines proposed by Cape Wind has concerned what's above the water, the company is turning its attention to what lies below.

On Friday, Cape Wind began a four-part geological survey of the 25 square miles of Horseshoe Shoal on Nantucket Sound where it proposes to build the 440-foot turbines, according the Cape Cod Times.

"The work starting is really the beginning of what will be a continuous presence of Cape Wind on the shoal, up to construction," Cape Wind spokesman Mark Rodgers said. "The fact is, in construction projects these types of activities are considered the official beginning of construction."

The four-step geological survey will give Cape Wind more information about the seafloor and subsurface, including topographical changes, the layers of materials in the ocean floor and whether foreign objects — including cultural artifacts — are present.

It's a precursor to the construction of foundations for the proposed turbines, Rodgers said. The turbines' steel monopole foundations — pipelike structures about 15 feet in diameter — will be driven into the seabed to a depth of 80 feet and filled with sediment.

The survey is important for the engineering and design of the foundations and supports, as well as the cables running through the area, said Tom McNeilan, vice president of Fugro, the company performing the survey. About 50 scientists and engineers from Fugro, a Dutch company with a base in Norfolk, Va., and other companies will conduct the survey.

Click here for the full report.

Comments

3 Thursday, 12 July 2012 12:34

By Oceanwatch

Brown calls for federal probe of Cape Wind

July 3, 2012 - U.S. Sen. Scott Brown yesterday joined the growing chorus of critics calling for a federal probe into Cape Wind, saying officials have been aware of safety concerns “forever” and raising questions about whether the hotly debated Nantucket Sound project was born from “backroom deals.”
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“If there’s any inference of any backroom deals ... there should be an independent investigation to verify if those things are true,” Brown told the Herald, brushing off Obama administration claims that a probe would be too costly.

“Sometimes you have to focus on the solution and getting the answers,” Brown said. “And if there is a cost associated with that, and if there’s been wrongdoing, we need to find out and we need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Cape Wind has come under renewed fire after opponents produced Federal Aviation Administration emails showing the agency felt political pressure to approve the project despite concerns that more than 100 offshore 440-foot-tall wind turbines would interfere with radar communications and could ensnare small, low-flying planes.

Read the full story at the Boston Herald.

2 Tuesday, 10 July 2012 13:19

By glenberk

"Citizen" seems to have nothing good to ever say about Cape Wind and wind power, in general. Yet Citizen seems to access the electric grid without wishing to take any responsibility for where electricity comes from. It may be convenient, but it's an inconsistent and contradictory position to take.

Cape Wind has undergone more scrutiny, more analysis, more hearings, more debate, then literally any other power generating facility known to humankind.

And despite the protestations of a relatively small but vocal opposition, the benefits of building Cape Wind always come out on top. Simple as that.

Congrats to Cape Wind on their start of its next underwater survey phase. This milestone is well deserved.

1 Tuesday, 10 July 2012 03:53

By Citizen

The Patriot Ledger wrote, “Rodgers said the project has been thoroughly vetted by state and federal agencies over the course of an entire decade.” In the next breath, however, the Ledger reads, “As many as 50 scientists, engineers and archaeologists will be involved” in this new study.

Which is it? Either the proposed project was scrutinized at the level that Cape Wind has boasted to the public … OR … it was not.

So what sparked this new scientific extravaganza?

Maybe an imminent federal investigation of Cape Wind?

Something about pressure on government employees to not question anything that could slow down the proposed project? (FAA)

Or does this have something to do with "Required Data Never Collected," "No Monitoring of Impacts," and the "Rushed Review" that other government employees questioned? (MMS)

Do this country a favor and question EVERYTHING about the Cape Wind proposal. Our national treasure Nantucket Sound is at stake.

Here are some links to check out:
http://www.patriotledger.com/topstories/x1446673520/Effort-to-build-offshore-wind-farm-in-Nantucket-Sound-enters-new-phase

http://articles.boston.com/2012-06-15/news/32257126_1_cape-wind-faa-clearance-wind-farm)

(http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/12/23)

http://www.texasinsider.org/?p=64716

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