Cape & Islands News

 

By Katie Dickson, CapeCodTODAY.com

 

This week's MMS meetings on the Cape and Islands were marked by the poignant testimonies of local fisherman, but at the UMass Boston meeting it was sheiks and polar bears. Thursday night's MMS (Minerals Management Services) meeting at the UMass Clark Athletic Center--the fourth such meeting so far--drew a diverse crowd: Wampanoags from the island of Martha's Vineyard, elected officials from Massachusetts and their representatives, as well as fishermen, pilots, and activists dressed as endangered animals and caricatures of Arabian oil power.

 

Cape Air's Dan Wolf urged strong support for the project saying it will have "no adverse impact" on flight or navigation.The pilot was the President of Cape Air and Nantucket Airlines, the country's largest privately owned commuter airlines, who strongly endorsed Cape Wind after previously being one of its earliest opponents when he was President of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.

 

The first hour of the hearings was largely, if not entirely, against the Cape Wind proposal because elected officials get to speak first, and most Cape Cod pols are beholden to Senator Ted Kennedy who has fought this renewable energy project for seven years.

 

Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, Chairwoman of the Aquinnah Wampanoags, said that the recent Draft Environmental Impact Statement released "ignores certain concerns," like cultural preservation. She cited various Wampanoag traditions she felt would be negatively impacted by Cape Wind, including solstice ceremonies and the fishing livelihoods of many tribal members. Other speakers expressed varied concerns with the project, such as a statement from the Chilmark Board of Selectmen which declared the project's impact "significant and negative."

 

"I have attended all of these public hearings (Cape Cod, Nantcket and Martha's Vineyard) and, until tonight, have not spoken, but rather intently listened to the heartfelt and passionate comments from both supporters and opponents..."  After describing the challemges of gas prices and Global Warming he added,  "I know that, by itself, Cape Wind will not achieve this goal but it is an important start, and what better place to begin than in the federal waters owned by all citizens of the United States off the coast of Massachusetts."
- Jim Gordon, Cape WindSOS (Save Our Sound) flyers and tags were abundant, although the applause for anti-wind speakers was scattered and there was little to no audience involvement. Public turnout was apparently expected to be high, causing the MMS hearing to move from the Campus Center Ballroom to the larger Clark Athletic Center, but despite a constant trickle of attendees, the bleachers remained less than half full.

 

What audience there was, however, grew animated and agitated when Mr. Costello stood to speak on behalf of six chairmen of the Massachusetts Legislature energy and environment committee, the first speaker of the night to be in favor of the Cape Wind project. Costello expressed the committee's "strong and continued support" of the project and said the proposal was key in "reducing foreign imports" of fuel, such as oil. The moderator faced down a shouting match when the decision was made to allow Costello extra time to name the six elected officials; SOS activists loudly encouraged him to leave the microphone, while Cape Wind supporters applauded his efforts.

 

The contingency of Cape Wind supporters received a visual boost in the form of costumed activists, six dressed as sheiks and one as a polar bear. Their presence at the hearing ensured that, despite the many SOS speakers expressing concerns related to conservation, politics, tourism, and the fishing industry, the issues of global warming and US dependence on foreign oil were still up for discussion--and despite a rule disallowing signs and banners, their costumes were worth a thousand words.

 

After a brief 8pm recess, the tides turned in favor of Cape Wind, with nearly all speakers in support of the project receiving vocal audience support. Notably, Dan Wolf of Nantucket Airlines and Cape Air reiterated his position in favor of the turbines, saying the proposal would have "no adverse impact" on flight or navigation.

 

A representative from the RI Winds Coalition also voiced his support for the project and for others like it, pointing to rising energy costs for islanders--42 cents per kilowatt hour for Block Island residents--and the positive long term impact of wind energy projects. "Cape Wind is not going to save the world," said a representative from Massasuchetts Interfaith Power and Light, "but it's a step in the right direction."
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Read the rep0rts on the three previous MMS public hearings this week;

• YARMOUTH: As the Wind Blows, Cape Cod Splits on its Virtues
  and A house and county divided
• NANTUCKET: Nantucket shows signs of split on Cape Wind
• MARTHA'A VINEYARD: Over 300 attend Martha's Vineyard Cape Wind hearing last night