Deepwater enters whale protection accord

Developer Deepwater Wind will voluntarily adjust its planned construction period for a 30MW pilot wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island to minimize potential impacts to migrating endangered North Atlantic Right whales.

In an agreement reached with the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), Deepwater will not engage in driving of piles required to anchor turbine steel foundations to the ocean floor before 1 May. The move aims to avoid disturbing Right whales known to feed in Rhode Island Sound in April.

Construction of the Block Island project, planned for 2014 or 2015, is not scheduled during the winter months through March.

Deepwater says the piles could be driven to a depth of up to 250-feet (76.2-meters) at a location in shallow state-owned waters off the southeastern…

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