{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413397", "New BOEM-DOD offshore wind agreement heightens concerns over whether approved projects have been properly vetted by U.S. military", "2024-10-30", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today slammed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to collaborate on offshore wind development, saying the haphazard move \u201cheightens serious concerns over whether projects that have already been approved were thoroughly and properly vetted by the U.S. military for adverse impacts on national security and military readiness.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is extremely disconcerting that BOEM is only now deciding to define roles and duties with the Defense Department for offshore wind leasing and project review after 10 projects have already been fully approved by the Biden-Harris Administration with more lined up,\u201d said Smith.\n\n\u201cBOEM\u2019s own analysis for the Atlantic Shores South project acknowledges that the offshore wind turbines would specifically interfere with federal and military radar systems, even mentioning Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst by name,\u201d said Smith. \u201cAnd yet shockingly, BOEM has already issued full federal approval for construction to move forward\u2014even before reaching this new agreement to work with the Defense Department.\u201d\n\nAccording to BOEM, the memorandum of understanding includes calls for BOEM and DOD to:\n\n\u00b7 \u201cCollaborate as early as possible in the offshore wind leasing process\u201d;\n\n\u00b7 \u201cRegularly communicate and exchange information at the staff and leadership levels\u201d; and\n\n\u00b7 \u201cDetermine what areas should be deferred from leasing to enable the performance of DOD activities.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnyone who has been paying close attention to the shoddy and reckless approval process for these offshore wind projects will not be fooled by this after-the-fact proposal\u2014which is far too little and far too late,\u201d said Smith.\n\n\u201cFor years, we have been pointing out the lack of serious scrutiny and proper vetting for these projects\u2014especially and including the likely dire impacts on national security and military readiness\u2014but the Biden-Harris Administration has ignored our concerns,\u201d Smith said.\n\n\u201cIn fact, the implementation of this agreement so late in the process begs the question of what national security threats have been downplayed or neglected by BOEM over the past few years during its reckless, fast-track approval process,\u201d said Smith.\n\nIn Congress, Smith has been leading efforts to raise the alarm over the serious threats that rapid offshore wind industrialization poses to U.S. national security in addition to other wide-ranging adverse impacts.\n\nLast year, Smith introduced legislation\u2014which was passed by the House of Representatives in July 2023\u2014that would require presidential certification that offshore wind projects would not \u201cweaken, degrade, interfere with, or nullify the capability of radar relied upon by the Federal Aviation Administration or the Armed Forces.\u201d\n\nSmith\u2019s legislative effort came shortly after BOEM Director Liz Klein failed to offer specific details when pressed by Smith at a congressional hearing on whether offshore wind projects would make military vessel navigation less safe. Their exchange occurred just one week after Bloomberg reported that the Pentagon had deemed several areas off the East Coast as \u201chighly problematic\u201d for offshore wind development due to proximity to military operations.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413397"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9852759540081024, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}