LITTLE COMPTON, R.I. — A Rhode Island-based environmental group is urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to revoke its air pollution permit for the Revolution Wind project, claiming the agency’s original review failed to account for significant emissions tied to the offshore wind development.
In a formal letter sent Tuesday to the EPA’s Region I Office in Boston, Green Oceans alleged that the permitting process overlooked multiple sources of air pollution stemming from blade failures, pile driving, and routine maintenance operations related to the project’s wind turbines. The nonprofit, which opposes large-scale offshore wind farms off the New England coast, argues these omissions fundamentally compromised the integrity of the EPA’s original review.
“The EPA failed to evaluate the full scope of emissions associated with Revolution Wind’s construction and maintenance,” said Dr. Lisa Quattrocki Knight, co-founder and president of Green Oceans. “When emissions from heavy-lift vessels, repair logistics, and routine upkeep are included, this so-called climate solution may actually worsen the climate crisis.”
The group cited recent incidents, including a blade failure on a Vineyard Wind turbine off Nantucket last July that scattered debris along the coast from Cape Cod to Montauk Point. A subsequent lightning strike further damaged the same turbine. Green Oceans argues these events are not isolated and that similar failures—often requiring overseas shipping of replacement parts—introduce considerable greenhouse gas emissions that were not included in the project’s environmental analysis.
According to Green Oceans, vessel traffic for blade repairs and equipment transport can significantly increase volatile organic compounds and particulate matter. Yet, the group claims these emissions, along with those produced by pile driving and maintenance ships, were only superficially addressed during the permitting phase.
Co-founder Bill Thompson criticized both government agencies and developers for what he described as a pattern of prioritizing political and financial interests over public and environmental health. “This is further evidence that wind companies and regulators didn’t do their homework,” Thompson said. “The cure is proving to be as bad or worse than the disease.”
The organization warned that without a reopened review, the project risks degrading air quality and marine ecosystems while eroding public trust in regulatory oversight.
Green Oceans is calling on the EPA to restart its review process and ultimately revoke Revolution Wind’s air pollution permit, saying that a more complete and transparent analysis is needed before the project proceeds.
