CONCORD, Mass. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has extended the public comment period until Dec. 31, 2012 for those who want to submit comments on the Deepwater Wind proposal to construct five wind turbine generators and do other work off the southeast coast of Block Island, Rhode Island. The original 45-day comment period was scheduled to end Nov. 19. The public requested additional time to comment.
Deepwater Wind Block Island, LLC and Deepwater Wind Block Island Transmission System, LLC (known collectively as Deepwater Wind) are seeking a permit from the Corps in compliance with Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which provides for federal regulation of any work in, or affecting navigable waters of the United States; and with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, which regulates the discharge or fill of material in U.S. waters, including wetlands.
Deepwater Wind Block Island, LLC proposes to construct and maintain the Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF), a 30-megawatt offshore wind farm located in Rhode Island territorial waters. The BIWF will consist of five 6-megawatt wind turbine generators (WTG), a submarine cable interconnecting the five WTGs, and a 34.5-kilovolt submarine transmission cable from the northernmost WTG to an interconnection point on east-central Block Island where the cable will go ashore to a new substation built at the existing Block Island Power Company property.
In connection with the BIWF, Deepwater Wind Block Island Transmission System, LLC proposes to construct the Block Island Transmission System (BITS), a 34.5-kilovolt alternating current bi-directional submarine transmission cable from Block Island to the Rhode Island mainland. Deepwater Wind has submitted an Environmental Report as part of their application. It is available for review at: www.dwwind.com/block-island/block-island-project-overview. Paper copies of the report are available at the Block Island Town Hall and at the Maury Loontjens Memorial Library in Narragansett.
The Corps public notice, with more detailed information on the proposal by Deepwater Wind, can be viewed at http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Regulatory/Public%20Notices/.
Public comments on this proposed work by Deepwater Wind (file # NAE-2009-789) should be forwarded no later than Dec. 31, 2012 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Regulatory Division (ATTN: Michael Elliott), 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742-2751. Additional information is available from Permit Project Manager Michael Elliott at 978-318-8131 or toll free 800-343-4789 or 800-362-4367 (if calling from within Massachusetts) or by email to: michael.j.elliott@usace.army.mil.