Apr 30 - Boston Herald


Furious Cape Wind foes are far from giving up.

Yesterday, after U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar approved the controversial offshore wind energy project, critics blasted the decision.

"The fight is far from over, said Audra Parker, executive director of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound. "It will ultimately be decided in a court - and based on facts, not politics."

Salazar's decision capped nine years of local, state and federal review.

 During that time, Cape Wind opposition grew to include one state and two federal agencies that deemed Nantucket Sound, where the power plant would be built, as a historically significant national treasure.

Two Native American tribes oppose the project too, saying it is being built in a culturally significant area.

The town of Barnstable has already filed a notice of intent to file a lawsuit, and the Wampanoag tribe is preparing to mount a legal challenge to the project for violations of tribal rights.

Some critics say Cape Wind's review has been flawed, while others say the project will lead to huge increases in utility bills, because, while wind may be free, harnessing it is expensive.

Cape Wind developer Jim Gordon acknowledged the opposition, saying in a statement that "we appreciate their involvement in helping to shape the project."

Yesterday, Salazar and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick admitted that they don't know what the project will mean for electric ratepayers. They said they don't know how much the project will cost, even though one-third of the bill will be paid by taxpayers.

"It's really terrible," said Robert Kennedy Jr., whose famous political family has largely opposed the Cape Wind project.

Kennedy, a lawyer and environmental advocate, said he doesn't own any of the Kennedy Compound, the Hyannis Port property that looks out on Nantucket Sound, so his objection "isn't about Cape Wind spoiling my view."

"The issues are Cape Wind's costs and the project's impact on fishing, tourism and other aspects of life along the Cape shore," he said.

Buddy Vanderhoop, a Wampanoag tribal member and commercial fisherman, called the ruling "a federal embarrassment."

"It's a slap in the face to all the tribes all over the U.S. who are backing us, and all of the people who make their living" on the waters where the turbines could be placed, he said.

Originally published by By CHRISTINE McCONVILLE.

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