U.S. official says offshore wind farms pose no threat to environment [View all]

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/u-s-official-says-offshore-wind-farms-pose-no-threat/article_af694c80-4dbc-11e1-8fc7-001871e3ce6c.html

Building offshore wind farms along the mid-Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf creates no significant impact on the environment, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said on Thursday, clearing a major hurdle for the development of offshore energy projects.

Salazar, speaking in Baltimore, also pledged a quicker turnaround for the federal permitting process, saying, "No developer should wait 9 to 10 years for a lease." He pledged to approve leases for the offshore sites this year.

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