{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-along-state-and-local-lawmakers-urge-maryland-department", "Congressman Harris, Along with State and Local Lawmakers, Urge the Maryland Department of Environment to Hold a Public Hearing in Ocean City to Address Concerns with the West Ocean City Pier Development", "2024-05-15", "2024", "2024-05", "Republican", "House", "MD", "Andy Harris", "H001052", "harris.house.gov", "harris", "https://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Andy Harris, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, FDA, Rural Development, and Related Agencies is calling on the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) to hold a public hearing in Ocean City, Maryland to review its process for developing U.S. Wind\u2019s West Ocean City Pier. The MDE held a public comment hearing at the Wor-Wic Community College on March 25, 2024; however, Congressman Harris\u2019 office received numerous complaints that the hearing was held in neighboring Wicomico County as opposed to Ocean City where residents will be most affected by the pier development.\n\nThe location of the proposed pier in the Ocean City Inlet is in an area that is already crowded with commercial fisherman and tourists alike and many Ocean City residents have expressed concerns that further development of the pier will create unnecessary disruption of the important fishing industry.\n\nIn their response to the letter, MDE offered to extend the online public comment period for 30 days but did not agree to hold a public hearing in Ocean City, as was requested.\n\nStatements From Lawmakers:\n\n\u201cThe West Ocean City Pier is being developed with the purpose of expanding offshore wind at a time when the true impacts of offshore wind have never been properly studied. I urge the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) to hold a public forum in Ocean City so that my constituents and those residents most affected by the West Ocean City pier development can voice their concerns,\u201d said Congressman Harris.\n\n\u201cThe residents and property owners of Ocean City and across the Shore have the right to know the detailed plans of the offshore wind industrialization project, including the developer\u2019s plans for major construction at the West Ocean City Harbor,\u201d said Maryland State Senator Mary Beth Carozza, who represents Maryland\u2019s Coast. \u201cUS Wind, an Italian-based developer, continues to change the plans by dramatically increasing the size of the turbines growing nearly four times the height of the tallest building in Ocean City and placing the gigantic turbines as close to 11 miles from the Shore, not 17 miles as first proposed. We need a public hearing to be held in Ocean City, the place where the industrialization of offshore wind energy will have the biggest impact.\u201d\n\n\u201cSince the conversation regarding offshore wind has started, the local elected officials and the majority of Ocean City property owners\u2019 concerns have been ignored,\u201d said Delegate Wayne Hartman. \u201cThe fact that this meeting was not made to be convenient for those impacted most, including our commercial waterman and neighboring property owners, tells me that there is no desire to hear the real concerns and negative impact that this project will bring.\u201d\n\n\u201cIntroducing the competing uses proposed by US Wind would impede the primary function of the WOC harbor, a protected Commercial Marine Zoning District and the hub of commercial and recreational fishing activities in Worcester County,\u201d Commissioner President Chip Bertino said. \u201cBecause US Wind activities threaten our commercial fishing industry, future maintenance dredging to address historic shoaling in the Ocean City Inlet, and the continued economic viability of the greater Ocean City area, any public hearing on this application should be staged in Worcester County where those who will actually be impacted by the project reside.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe proposed US Wind project, which will destroy the view shed off the coast of Ocean City, is now leading to the industrialization of the West Ocean City Commercial Fishing Harbor. The proposed development in the harbor will reduce the commercial fishing and recreational opportunities in the only commercial harbor that has direct access to the Atlantic Ocean in the entire State of Maryland. Any hearing on this proposal should take place in the Ocean City area where those that are most affected and have the most standing, have the opportunity to attend. We have the most to lose and our voice has continued to be ignored. We must have the opportunity, as a community, to stand up for ourselves,\u201d said Ocean City mayor, Richard Meehan.\n\nTo read the full letter, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:01:11Z"]], "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://harris.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-harris-along-state-and-local-lawmakers-urge-maryland-department"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8474583737552166, "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"}