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Local fisherman file lawsuit over Morro Bay offshore wind energy projects
Credit: KCBX | By Emily Schiffenhaus | Published March 8, 2024 at kcbx.org ~~
Central Coast fishermen filed a lawsuit over the planned offshore wind development off Morro Bay’s coast.
The lawsuit is against the California Coastal Commission, California State Lands Commission, three offshore wind developers and the vessel owners who are conducting offshore research in the area.
Sheri Hafer is a representative with the Morro Bay Commercial Fishermen Organization, one of the parties that filed the lawsuit.
Hafer said their concerns over the development grew when the California State Lands Commission issued a permit in December for survey work along the California coast.
She claims that work could endanger local marine life.
“There’s no monitoring of the wildlife to see the impacts on them, there’s no mitigation for the commercial fishermen in place,” Hafer said.
However, the federal government released the site’s environmental impact analysis in 2022, and found no significant impact.
The three floating wind farms will be about 20 miles off Morro Bay’s coast.
They’re expected to produce more energy than the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which accounts for about 9% of the state’s energy portfolio.
It’s also estimated to bring about 600 jobs to both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties in the near-term.
Hafer’s attorney, Bill Walters says he’s waiting to hear back from the parties involved in the lawsuit to see how to move forward.
The defendants of the lawsuit did not respond to KCBX’s request for comment in time for this story.
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