DELMARVA- A former tax lawyer is taking on the state of Delaware in a battle over an offshore wind project that some say could forever alter the ocean view — and the environment along with it.
Edward Bintz filed an appeal challenging the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s (DNREC) conditional approval of the US Wind Offshore Maryland Project, which would install towering wind turbines off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland, with infrastructure impacting Delaware’s coastal zone.
“Potential damage to marine life, which seems to me to be real, based on what I’ve read,” Bintz said. “We’ve got the aesthetic damage of having to look at these 938-foot towers that are very visible.”
Although DNREC has already issued its certification of consistency under the Delaware Coastal Management Program, Bintz argues that the approval was made without full transparency or adequate consideration of environmental impacts.
“You’re supposed to take into account foreseeable effects,” he told the Delaware Environmental Appeals Board during a hearing Tuesday.
Bintz pushed for access to the full administrative record, including emails, correspondence, and any factual materials DNREC reviewed when it signed off on the project. The board agreed, ordering DNREC to release all relevant information used in making its decision.
“It should include emails and other correspondence and factual communication with US Wind that was before DNREC when it was making its decision,” Bintz said. “That way, we have it and we can make our case that the determination made by DNREC was incorrect.”
DNREC did not respond to CoastTV’s request for an interview.
Public reaction remains divided. Towns like Ocean City and Fenwick Island have openly opposed the offshore wind project. Ocean City recently rejected a $20 million offer from US Wind, with Mayor Rick Meehan stating, “Ocean City is not for sale.”
Supporters of the project, however, appear to be keeping quiet. One business owner in Fenwick Island told CoastTV she agrees with the wind project but declined to speak on camera, fearing backlash from customers due to the political nature of the issue.
With the board’s ruling now in place, the legal and environmental debate over US Wind’s project is expected to continue as more documents are released and reviewed.
