At a scoping hearing hosted in Eureka by the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District in Eureka Wednesday night, residents shared their concerns about the proposed Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal Project.The project would redevelop a large former industrial site on the Samoa Peninsula to facilitate shipping and construction of offshore wind turbines that would stand over 1,000 feet tall on foundations weighing as much as 2,000 tons. Written comments on the proposed project’s CEQA Draft Environmental Impact Review (or DEIR) process are being accepted through December 7.Comments from those gathered were largely critical of the project or concerned about the development.Robin Gray-Stewart, marine chair of the Sierra Club Redwood Chapter’s North Group, said the organization she represents respects the Harbor District’s efforts to develop a green port and clean up a contaminated site. Nonetheless, she said, “While this started as a green terminal project, it is looking less and less green with each revision to the project.”Gray-Stewart noted concerns about the location of the project, near communities on the Samoa Peninsula and near Tuluwat Island, about the potential inclusion of a concrete batch plant to facilitate the production of foundations for turbines, as well as concerns about wet storage in the bay, the use of diesel in its waters and increased vessel traffic, particularly around the mouth of the Humboldt Bay.Sylvia Van Royen of Humboldt Waterkeeper told the assembly that the scale of the project as it is currently envisioned is unprecedented and needs to be placed in perspective.“The terminal is being planned to assemble the largest offshore wind turbines built to date, reaching a height of 1,050 feet at the tip of a spinning blade, more than three times the height of the pulp mill smokestack,” Van Royen said. “In order to support such large turbines, the scale of dredging, pile driving and other construction is massive compared to anything we have ever experienced in Humboldt Bay. The Harbor District should plan an offshore wind port that is an appropriate size and scale for our bay, one that allows us to maintain the integral and very loved characteristics of the bay while supporting the clean energy transition.”Wednesday and Thursday’s meetings are not the final way to offer input into the scope of the project’s DEIR process. Written comments are being accepted through Dec. 7. They can be sent via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by U.S. mail to: Chris Mikkelsen, Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, P.O. Box 1030, Eureka, California 95502-1030.More information on the project is at https://humboldtbay.org/.Read More
