March 29, 2024

Bohanan Speaks About Windmill Study Veto

Posted for Del. John Bohanan
Pax LeaderBohanan headshot smile

The combination of a pro-wind governor and a pro-wind SecNav killed Del. John Bohanan’s bill to further study huge wind turbines’ threat to the Atlantic Test Range at Pax River.

Speaking a few weeks after Gov. Martin O’Malley vetoed the bill which had received overwhelming support in the Maryland House and Senate, Del. Bohanan was philosophical. And resolved to fight.

“Had a good bill,” he says in the video below. “Lot of support in the legislature. Strong support from the Senate President and the Speaker of the House. Never got any strong push-back from the Administration. . . . We knew they weren’t wild about it, but never any hint that it would be vetoed.

“[There have been a] lot of other back-up plans we’ve been pursuing, even before the governor vetoed. At this point we’re going to continue to pursue them. . . .

“We have a Secretary of the Navy who is very pro-wind, aligned with the Governor who is very pro-wind. That combination is what led us to this and led to them, frankly, ignoring the interests of the local folks who have to live with the results of the curtailment agreement. And that’s the folks at the Atlantic Test Range.”

The plan to build large wind turbines across the Chesapeake Bay from NAS:Patuxent River is touted as an economic boon to the Eastern Shore and a step toward alternative energy development as sought by the US military and the nation. However, Pax River and many state and federal officials, including Congressman Steny Hoyer,  joined with Del. Bohanan to argue the greater global need for the test range’s mission and the potential loss if this testing capability is damaged.

Those are among the points being considered now by the Pentagon, Mr. Bohanan explains.

The current curtailment plan, whereby the turbine owners will stop the turbines for Pax testing, is completely unworkable at best and counter productive at worst, he describes below. “You don’t want to go down that road,” he concludes.

In the video below the delegate makes clear that the issue is not closed. He represents Patuxent, Maryland and its surrounds as a Delegate to the Maryland House of Delegates and serves as Senior Adviser to Congressman Hoyer who also represents Patuxent, Maryland, in the US House of Representatives.

“We’re going to fight it,” he said.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0vp3R-x1eU]

Comments
2 Responses to “Bohanan Speaks About Windmill Study Veto”
  1. Carolyn Egeli says:

    When the government officials first visited with the town fathers of So. Md, they told them the district had a choice between a deep water port and the military. I wonder if the new thrust from the natural gas lobbies are hoping yet to turn this area into a deep water harbor, in which case, it makes the ecological damage of Pax River look like nothing in comparison. Cove Point is a contentious issue in my book, with the possible introduction into the lower Chesapeake area of serious industrial transport. I don’t like it, especially for those people close by who could not escape a serious explosion and the increased traffic of containers and tankers, spilling and dirtying up the already suffering Chesapeake. The town fathers had chosen the military before and it is still the lesser of the evils. As the pressure of build out from the Baltimore/Washington area continues, and the nature of our peninsula raises serious safety issues for escape for population in disaster or the serious challenges of water shortages brought about by growth and particularly industrial growth…cooling of water, etc, there seems to be no good outcome for nature in Southern Md. It appears, that at least wind provides an option to the filth. Now there is a different wind combine available that can turn in any direction into the wind of a spiral shape, the Archimedes information about which can be googled, would seriously challenge the need for centralized and or fossil fuels. Solar continues to become cheaper, and more available to individuals. Read the “Third Industrial Revolution” by Rifkin. There is no real reason other than build out, to continue to desecrate the environment on the Chesapeake Bay. There are solutions other than fossil fuels or military. The oil economy is on its last legs. So is the world economy as we’ve known it. Again, Jeremy Rifkin following the trends, has written another wonderful book called The Zero Marginal Cost Society, witnessing a new way of life alread emerging.

  2. Bill Rymer says:

    So the Pax River base is the lesser of evils? I understand now, more fully, why this country is so unfortunately divided. You have the leftist liberals basking in the benefits of a protected and thriving country while calling the military and assets such as Pax River test facilities the lesser of evils… “Oh Pelosi!” I must yell loudly… and many of you know Pelosi is the synonym for BS.
    The base gave me a wonderful career and gave our country the testing capability absolutely essential to protecting all of us long term. ALL productive industry is evil to people with that naive mindset. The obvious evil is in those who live so far from reality and persistently decry everything that keeps them afloat.

    Had it not been for the hysterical over reaction to Three Mile Island, the US would be using predominately nuclear power now and not kidding themselves with eyesores in the wind.

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