The public will have until 11:59 p.m. EST Sunday, Sept. 12, to comment on plans by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to enter into a lease sale for the Wilmington East Wind Energy Area.
The comments will become part of a supplemental Environmental Assessment “to consider additional wind leasing options offshore North Carolina and South Carolina,” specifically regarding the planned lease sale for the Wilmington East WEA, which is located offshore North and South Carolina (Long Bay area), a BOEM press release said.
“The supplemental EA will consider new information relevant to environmental considerations that were not available when BOEM published the Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore North Carolina - Revised Environmental Assessment in 2015,” the press release said.
The lease sale of Wilmington East and West WEAs, as well as the Kitty Hawk WEA were considered in BOEM’s 2015 Environmental Assessment. Subsequently, BOEM in 2017, “held a competitive lease sale for the Kitty Hawk WEA,” the press release said.
Oak Island, North Carolina, Mayor Ken Thomas believes wind turbines should be undetectable from the beach. Wilmington East WEA is off the coast of Brunswick County where Oak Island is located. At about 133,590 acres, the Wilmington East WEA begins approximately 15.5 miles from shore, the StarNews Online reported.
“I am in favor of wind power,” Thomas said in a July 28 article by The State Port Pilot. “I just don’t want to see it or hear it from the beach. I don’t know what the right number is; I just don’t want to see or hear them.”
People can comment on the Wilmington East and West WEA's at the BOEM website.
“We welcome and appreciate your input in this process,” the BOEM Facebook page said.
