Town Urges Islanders To Lobby Federal And State Preservation Authorities Over SouthCoast Wind Mitigation

With the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) set to issue a permit for the SouthCoast Wind project south of Nantucket next month, the town has put out an "urgent" plea for island residents to lobby state and federal preservation authorities to stall the process.

The goal is not only to get BOEM to improve its proposed mitigation for Nantucket, but also to potentially drag out the approval process beyond the Jan. 20th, 2025 inauguration of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, who has vowed to end offshore wind projects on "day one."

The SouthCoast Wind project is still in the midst of the so-called Section 106 process of the National Historic Preservation Act, which deals with the impacts on historic propertiesthe Se and gives the town standing with BOEM, as the island is a registered National Historic Landmark. The town has already objected to BOEM's mitigation proposal for the SouthCoast Wind: just $150,000 for historic property surveys and archeological assessments - to limit the impact of the offshore energy development on the island. Despite those objections during the Section 106 process, BOEM appears poised to issue a permit for SouthCoast Wind on December 19, an approval which opponents believe is being rushed through before the Biden administration leaves the White House.

But the Section 106 memorandum of agreement for SouthCoast Wind requires signatures from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). If they refuse to sign the memorandum pending BOEM's consideration of Nantucket's objections. If those entities do refuse to sign the memorandum - a long shot - BOEM could extend the timeline for issuing the document or it could choose to terminate the consultation process. That would start another process that includes a 30-day period for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to issue comments on the termination. After following those steps, BOEM could still issue the permit without those signatories. 

"The Town of Nantucket calls on you to help safeguard one of the nation’s most treasured National Historic Landmarks," according to an advisory published by the town on Thursday. "We ask that you contact the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to urge them to decline signing the Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for SouthCoast Wind."

The town stated that BOEM had failed to address "critical deficiencies" in the Section 106 process, including:

• Inadequate mitigation for the adverse visual effects on Nantucket Historic District National Historic Landmark (NHL).
• No legitimate plan to address future turbine failures, which could harm our beaches and environment.
• Insufficient decommissioning funding to ensure timely removal of turbines at the end of their useful life.

The entities consulting on the Section 106 process, including the ACHP and SHPO, "have not been listening to the town during the consultation process," said Will Cook, an attorney with Cultural Heritage Partners, the town's special legal counsel for offshore wind matters. "We have shared our idea of requesting that the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Officer refuse to sign the Memorandum of Agreement pending BOEM's consideration and resolution of the town of Nantucket objections."

Cook added that Brona Simon, the State Historic Preservation Officer for Massachusetts, "has sadly been missing form our vantage point on aspects of SouthCoast Wind's Section 106 review."

Click this link to learn more about the town's strategy and to find the emails for these state and federal officials.