WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Bill Delahunt today announced that the federal agency responsible for monitoring air traffic, and the safety of the flying public, will conduct its own investigations into potential radar interference problems association with offshore wind farms.

The decision by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was communicated recently in a letter to Mr. Delahunt from FAA Administrator Marion Blakey.  Rep. Delahunt earlier this year sent a letter to the FAA after learning of several British Ministry of Defense studies that echoed concerns expressed by officials at Barnstable Municipal Airport, Nantucket Airport and the Steamship Authority that radar systems could be compromised by the proposed wind farm.  In her response, Administrator Blakey said that the British experience "seems to confirm our concern of potential interference from wind turbines to our own air traffic control systems." 

"It is important that we resolve these issues now, before projects are built and public safety is put at risk," Congressman Delahunt said.   

Administrator Blakey also informed Mr. Delahunt that the FAA will work closely with the Pentagon’s Wind Farm Action Team, a multi-agency task force that includes among others, the US Coast Guard, US Department of Homeland Security and US Space Command.  The Wind Farm Action Team was created by the Defense Department after Section 338 of the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense Authorization Act (PL 109-163) required the Pentagon to report to Congress on "the effects on the operations of windmill farms on military readiness, including an assessment of the effects on the operations of military radar installations of the proximity of windmill farms to such installations and of technologies that could mitigate any adverse effects on military operations identified."

The FAA has also indicated that the new information will be used to assess the extent of radar interference problems implicated by the proposed Cape Wind project.  The agency has recently revised its hazard policies with respect to wind farm placement.  As a result, the FAA earlier this year opposed 87 of the 133 turbines for a project near the Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin citing concerns over airplane navigation and the false targets the turbines would create for radar installations.

NOTE: The full text of the letter to Congressman Delahunt is available upon request 

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