In accordance with notice to member of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, a meeting was held on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. located at the Administration Building, Conference Room A, One Capitol Hill, Providence, RI.

Members Present
Raymond Coia, Chair
Ronald Gagnon, DEM
Stephen Izzi
Catherine Robinson Hall
Joseph Russolino
Kevin Flynn

Staff Present
Jeffrey Willis, Executive Director
Laura Miguel, Deputy Director
Kevin Sloan, Coastal Policy Analyst
Justin Skenyon, Ocean Engineer
Anthony DeSisto, Legal Counsel
Mark Hartman, Asst Legal Counsel
Lisa Turner, Office Manager, Recording Secretary

1. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Coia called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

2. Approval of the Minutes of the Previous Meeting

Chair Coia called for a motion regarding the minutes for the Tuesday, July 18, 2023 Semi-monthly Meeting.

Motion: Mr. Izzi
Second: Ms. Hall

Roll call vote:
Mr. Russolino Aye
Ms. Hall Aye
Mr. Gagnon Aye
Mr. Flynn Aye
Mr. Izzi Aye
Chair Coia Aye

3. Subcommittee Reports

Mr. Willis updated the Council on the following:

• ROW Subcommittee Meeting at 5:00 on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 regarding Spring Avenue. Mr. Willis gave status of progress from Attorneys involved.

4. Staff Reports

Mr. Willis updated the Council on the following:

• Urban Coastal Greenway (UCG) Project ribbon cutting event in Providence at the Wexford Science & Technology/I-195 District location. The UCG is now available to the public.
• Shoreline Access Bill which directed CRMC, DEM, and the Attorney General’s office with the education of private property owners regarding how the public can exercise their constitutional rights to the shore. A meeting was held with Law enforcement and Town Administrators regarding SLA Bill education. Additional meetings being scheduled with other municipalities.

5. Discussion and action on federal consistency decision for CRMC File 2021-09-036 SUNRISE WIND, LLC Coastal Zone Management Act consistency certification; offshore wind energy facility in federal waters.

Mr. Willis explained BOEM process and timeframes; as well as explaining that the CRMC has four wind farm Federal Consistencies in the queue at this time.

Mr. Sloan gave a detailed explanation to the Council regarding the Federal Consistency process as it pertained to the CRMC review of the Sunrise Wind Farm. Mr. Sloan explained the importance of CRMC’s Federal Consistency decision as the CRMC conditions achieve more mitigation than on the federal level. Mr. DeSisto confirmed that all conditions of the Federal Consistency Condition Concurrence decision were agreed upon by the applicant and accepted by BOEM.

Attorney Robin Main and Attorney Christine Deiter of Hinckley Allen were present as representatives of Orsted Sunrise Wind, LLC. Ms. Main gave a brief presentation and called the following for testimony/presentations.

Sworn in and Identified for the record:

Ryan Chaytors, Program Development Director of Orsted, gave a presentation on the layout of the proposed windfarm, the projects permitting process with state and federal agencies and the project construction timeframe beginning and 2024 and ending in 2025.

Keith Suderman, Senior Project Manager, gave a presentation on the offshore converter station explaining the conversion process pertaining to the environmental impact on the surrounding area.

Gareth Ellis, Offshore Cable Installation Activities presentation, explained about the characteristics of the offshore cables, the installation process, seabed preparation, cable laying, trenching, secondary protection application process using the cable burial risk assessment and the cable inspection process.

William Bailey and Katherine Palmquist gave a presentation regarding the electric and magnetic fields emitted from the cables.

Hauke Kite Powell, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, gave a presentation on the indirect and induced economic impact of the project.

Jesper Christensen, Orsted Commercial Director, gave a presentation on the Compensatory Mitigation Package with a total number of $17,421,333 for fisheries including navigational study and Navigation enhancement and safety program (system upgrades and trainings and Orsted Simulator) (BOEM Ramp made number jump from 9mil to 17mil) – economic multipliers added to BOEM ramp. Funds to be managed by a 3rd party trust.

Ms. Main concluded Orsted presentation, with an option for closing remarks.

Attorney Michelle Hawes of Desautel Browning Law was present to represent the Fishermen’s Advisory Board (FAB). Ms. Hawes addressed the Council and stated that the project was not consistent with the State’s enforceable policies. Ms. Hawes explained that the FAB had submitted mitigation terms and conditions to CRMC.

Kyle Antonelis, Sr Fisheries Analyst, Natural Resources Consultants, Inc. was sworn in and identified himself for the record and presented to the Council from Washington state via Zoom Meeting platform. Mr. Antonelis presented on the percentage of discount rate between FAB and Sunrise. Mr. Antonelis recommended a compensatory mitigation package of $48,000,000 with a 3% discount rate.

Alisa Richardson, in her capacity of consultant, was sworn in and identified herself for the record giving a presentation aligned with her education and experience regarding state and federal reviews such as NIPDES, NMFS and EPA.

Meghan Lapp in her capacity as a new FAB member addressed the Council and gave comment aligning with her education and experience as the fisheries liaison for Seafreeze and providing information on European wind farms with adverse impacts to the environment and fish species. Ms. Lapp gave specific information on fisheries method of trawling and the adverse impact the cable have to the trawler as well as the adverse impact to the cable by the trawler. Ms. Lapp urged the Council to issue a denial to the federal consistency.

Ms. Hawes concluded her presentation and stated that Attorney Desautel had submitted to the record a detailed letter from the Fisheries Advisory Board.

Public Comment

Gary Yurman, New London Seafood Distributors and co-founder of Sea Servicers, spoke in support of the project.

Scott Yurman, a fisherman from Westerly RI spoke in support of project and ocean wind energy in general.

Tyler Morrel, commercial fishing trawler with New London Seafood Distributors spoke in support of the project.

Andrew Ahern, National Wildlife Federation, spoke in support for the responsible development of the Sunrise Wind Farm.

Daniel Langlais, RI Iron Workers, spoke in support of the creation of jobs from the project.

Anthony Cieri, Build RI, spoke in support.

Patrick Crowley, RI AFLCIO, spoke in support.

Timmons Roberts, Professor at Brown University spoke in support of the project and of alternative energy methods.

Close Public Hearing

Ms. Main addressed the Council concluding the presentation by Orsted/Sunrise Wind LLC.

Mr. Sloan confirmed for Chair Coia that the CRMC recommendation for concurrence with conditions had not changed after hearing testimony.

Mr. Russolino motioned for concurrence of the federal consistency review subject to the six conditions set forth in staff report as well as the Findings of Fact set forth in staff report.

Mr. Izzi seconded the motion.

Roll call vote:
Mr. Russolino Aye
Ms. Hall Aye
Mr. Gagnon Aye
Mr. Flynn Aye
Mr. Izzi Aye
Chair Coia Aye

Motion carried.

7. ADJOURN

Motion to adjourn:

Motion: Mr. Gagnon
Second: Mr. Izzi

Motion to adjourn approved on a unanimous voice vote.

Meeting adjourned 10:30 pm.

 

Minutes respectfully submitted,

Lisa A. Turner
Recording Secretary

 

CALENDAR INDEX