Offshore wind revisions questioned after hearing

Editor,

Forgive me if I seem angry, but I am.

I am angry at the lies coming from US Wind and the State of Maryland.

I am angry that US Wind and the Natural Resources Planner of the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) apparently think we are a bunch of uneducated hicks who can be pandered to like children.

I am angry that US Wind suddenly and without notice revised its plans for its operations and maintenance facility at our harbor by reducing the number of crew transfer ships and reducing the size of the pier extension, among other things. The good folks who attended the March 25 public hearing at Wor Wic Community College (What? There was no place in Ocean City or West Ocean City that could accommodate?) were not aware of the changed plans until the meeting commenced, and therefore their comments were outdated. Nice, US Wind, very nice.

I am really angry that US Wind and the MDE think we are so gullible that we won’t ask the obvious question – if they are reducing the number of ships used to transfer crews to the wind farm to service and repair the turbines, have they also reduced the number of turbines they plan to erect?  And keep in mind that the wind farm we’re discussing is just one of at least four that are planned for off the coast of Maryland and Delaware.

I am also angry that the”public” notice by US Wind and the MDE of the “public” hearing was, apparently, only published in the “Worcester County Times,” which has the poorest circulation of any of the newspapers in Worcester County. Seriously? You think they didn’t know that?

On second thought, I am not asking for forgiveness for my anger – I am telling those who read this to get angry, too.  You need to understand that these plans will destroy our harbor and the commercial fishing and recreational boating businesses, and eventually, Ocean City itself.

Carol Frazier
Ocean Pines