The CLF appears to have taken sides in the battle between ocean wind turbines and the fishing fleet in New Bedford. The CLF is working to promote renewable energy in the form of ocean wind turbines in the ocean off New England. In order to install these turbines hundreds of miles of three phase electric wires have to be trenched under the ocean floor and in addition the electric wires heat the ocean floor with unknown consequences. When the wind turbines are complete the federal government plans a no fishing zone in the three thousand square mile area as the electric cables will become a national interest issue.

The new ocean wind turbine port is scheduled to be built in New Bedford Harbor next to where environmental groups have known since 1996 that the Cannon Street Power plant sits in the most polluted marine environment in the country yet nothing has ever been done about the toxic abandoned power plant. In between the toxic power plant and the new ocean wind turbine port 2000 feet away the City of New Bedford is planning to spend 7.9 million dollars on Palmer’s Island to turn it into a bird sanctuary. There is something terribly wrong with this picture with a failure to protect marine habitat and defend public health in the building of the ocean wind turbine port next the toxic power plant.

The way to build healthy fishing communities is to keep the fishing fleet tied up at the docks so the dock space can be used for the wind turbines