The prospect of constructing wind turbines in U.S. waters continues to draw fire from boating, fishing and conservation organizations. And it should.

The latest red flag is now flying in Pennsylvania’s portion of Lake Erie with the recent passage of a bill in the state’s House of Representatives allowing the Department of Environmental Protection to lease Lake Erie bottom for such industrialization.

The opposition is being led by the SONS (Save Our Native Species) of Lake Erie Fishing Club, which was founded in 1981 to advocate for improved access to the lake and its fishery. This active organization is currently urging its nearly 3,000 members to lobby hard against House Bill 254 as it moves to the state senate.

It should also be noted that all segments of the marine industry with a vested interest in boat and fishing-related sales in Pennsylvania join the effort, too.

The SONS club cites grave concern for constructing turbines in “one of the world’s most precious freshwater aquatic resources.” The organization’s history is one of strongly supporting efforts to develop and improve the environment. In this case, there are far too many unanswered questions that this proposed legislation ignores.

“Our lake is already dealing with invasive species, toxic algae blooms, climate change impacts and more,” club president Jerry Skrypzak told the Erie Times-News. “We are shocked by and totally against any attempt to lease space in Lake Erie that will industrialize these waters with power-generating devices and structures.”

With the bill having passed the house, club members are now laser-focused on convincing the senate to deep-six the bill. Here are several reasons:

1. The Pennsylvania portion of Lake Erie is awaiting federal designation as a National Marine Sanctuary to protect the region’s maritime heritage and a significant collection of shipwrecks.

2. There is no specific designation of the type of devices and/or construction equipment that will be placed in the lake. It indicates fixed or floating devices may be utilized but does not outline how construction will be completed or how large such equipment might be. Drilling into the lake bed to construct fixed devices is of extreme concern.

3. There is no mention of how this generated energy would be transmitted to shore, the environmental impact of such installations, or how energy will be received, stored and distributed.

4. It’s unclear what any of these human-made disturbances could do to the environment, including disturbing silt-buried toxins, the threat and destruction of critical fish stocks and wildlife, and the impact on the drinking water supply for hundreds of thousands of people.

To its credit, the SONS club has an outstanding record of working for regulations and actions that promote the growth and health of the Lake Erie fishery. For example, they are a member of the Cooperative Nursery Branch of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Through this alliance, they’ve established a fish hatchery that annually produces and stocks approximately 1 million walleye and 2 million yellow perch into Presque Isle Bay at Erie. Moreover, steelhead and brown trout are also being raised in the hatchery.

In addition, the club has partnered with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to annually build and place structures in Presque Isle Bay that provide fish habitat.

The SONS club is always looking for members and support. Clearly, its actions make it than worthy of support from boat dealers, marina owners, fishing suppliers and other industry stakeholders.

Click here for more information about the group.