Clean Ocean Action: Fight Against ‘Massive Industrial Assault’ on Ocean Ensues

The fight to keep the ocean clean has reverted and intensified. Clean Ocean Action is rallying against what it has dubbed an “unprecedented massive industrial assault proposed to the ocean.”

The environmental group has revived the Clean Ocean Zone (COZ) legislative campaign originally developed years ago for a federal law to protect the “rich vibrant life off the NY/NJ coast and lock-out harmful industrialization and pollution.” The campaign was officially launched recently with a press conference in Seaside Park, the “middle of the Jersey Shore.”

The day was highlighted with a Campaign Open House to educate and motivate citizens to become “Ocean Rebels for the COZ” and a call to action.

Over the last 40 years, Clean Ocean Action, spearheaded by its executive director, Rumson-raised Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School graduate Cindy Zipf, has led successful campaigns to end ocean dumping, reduce pollution and garbage wash ups, and blocked numerous proposals for oil and gas drilling, and other fossil fuel projects. 

“We have come a long way and the ocean is now thriving. Everyone knows the ocean is key to the health of the planet, but few know a healthy ocean is also the planet’s best buffer against climate change. Sustaining a healthy ocean is the key to solving climate change. Yet threats not only remain but
are growing at a reckless pace.
Massive industrialization at an unimaginable scale now threatens the health of the ocean and the clean ocean economy.”
Clean Ocean Action Executive Director Cindy Zipf

Clean Ocean Action has identified some of the state and federal actions that have caused alarm and the need for a strong comprehensive law to protect the ocean. These include:

President Biden’s Executive Order calling for 30 gigawatts (30,000 megawatts) of offshore wind by 2030 along with fast-tracking implementation without transparency, due diligence and good science, as well as concerns about the undermining of agencies that protect marine life and the environment and national security.
The Biden Administration’s Ocean Climate Action Plan, which includes ocean injection of carbon, mining, and massive scale aquaculture and ocean confined animal feed lots.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) ties offshore wind development (OSW) to offshore oil and gas development. How will connecting OSW to increasing fossil fuels reduce climate change? For example:

“During the 10-year period after the IRA was enacted, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) may not issue a lease for offshore wind development unless the agency had offered at least 60 million acres for oil and gas leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf in the previous year.”¹

New Jersey is fast-tracking permits and does not have a robust action plan to ensure ocean protection. COA has submitted numerous detailed comments on different projects, permits, rules, and authorization highlighting the lack of due diligence, transparency, and good governance.

 And concerning state actions by NY and NJ.

Input on the issues from environmental leaders in the state …

“While some elements of these programs do help address climate change, such as more green infrastructure, energy reduction may do so by undermining the health of the ocean, the overall drive is to industrialize the ocean at an unsustainable scale.” said Zipf. 

“Whales are a powerful weapon in the fight against climate change. We need to protect the ocean and save our whales now!”
Trisha DeVoe, Conservation Biologist and founder of SaveOurWhalesNow.org.

“It is unfathomable to see the lack of investigation and lack of transparency into the string of deaths of whales and other marine mammals, especially with endangered species at grave risk. While federal agencies so boldly and confidently contend that offshore wind energy has nothing to do with the deaths of these marine mammals, they have provided no evidence.

In fact, the agencies highlight “noise” as a major factor in marine mammal harm. This is alarming as the impacts on marine life from noise are only growing and intensifying with the increase of offshore wind activity.  When will the federal and state governments acknowledge the unprecedented activity happening in the ocean and make a true determination of the cumulative impacts from these power plants? That’s why we need a pilot project.”
Kari Martin, COA Advocacy Campaign Manager

The Clean Ocean Zone was launched as a campaign against old, new, and renewed threats. The organization continues to call for a pilot project to determine the true impacts of offshore wind industrialization, and continues to serve its mission to stop ocean pollution sources.

“What the ocean needs now more than ever are the voices of all the people who enjoy and/or depend upon the rich vibrant living resources to contact their elected leaders to take a stand to save the sea, and save the planet,” Zipf added.

Clean Ocean Action will be reaching out to federal and state elected officials to inform them of the new campaign. More information is forthcoming, but the organization has the many action steps available at CleanOceanAction.org for the public to complete and share.

— Edited press release from COA

— Photo/COA from a recent event