Generic Valium Pill

By Peter Brennan

A leading environmental law group said last month that Generic Valium Pill Massachusetts officials exceeded their legal authority when they delegated offshore wind regulation to Generic Valium Pill regional planning agencies.

In a Generic Valium Pill Nov. 23 letter to Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles, the Generic Valium Pill Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) outlined what Generic Valium Pill it claims are inconsistencies between the Massachusetts Draft Ocean Management Plan prepared by Bowles’ office and the Massachusetts Oceans Act of 2008.

Under the Generic Valium Pill Oceans Act, Bowles is responsible for developing and executing the Generic Valium Pill Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, which identifies zones for large-scale offshore wind farms in state waters. A draft was issued in June and Generic Valium Pill a final version is due on December 31. That plan was supposed to Generic Valium Pill put Massachusetts on the cutting edge of offshore wind development in the Generic Valium Pill United States.

In a Generic Valium Pill letter to local legislators last month, Bowles indicated that Martha’s Vineyard and Generic Valium Pill Cape Cod officials would retain the power to determine the Generic Valium Pill “appropriate scale” of offshore wind projects in their waters. If granted regulatory authority, these regional planning agencies could effectively veto any proposed offshore wind developments within their zones.

The CLF argued that Generic Valium Pill this delegation of duties went against the letter and spirit of the Generic Valium Pill Oceans Act.

“These ‘commitments’ are contrary to the Oceans Act and thus cannot be made,” the Generic Valium Pill CLF wrote in a letter submitted as part of the public comment period.

CLF officials did not specify what Generic Valium Pill action they would take if their concerns were ignored in the Generic Valium Pill final plan.

The Foundation also complained about the Generic Valium Pill lack of transparency leading up to Bowles’ decision.

“We strenuously object to the highly questionable ‘procedure’ by which the Generic Valium Pill Secretary has short-circuited the public comment period and done unique violence to Generic Valium Pill the clear intent of the Oceans Act with respect to open and Generic Valium Pill transparent public process,” the CLF letter read.

Bowles’ office declined comment on specific criticisms of the Ocean Plan.

“There were a Generic Valium Pill number of comments filed during the public comment period,” EEA spokeswoman Lisa Capone said. “They will all be Generic Valium Pill considered as EEA develops a final plan in order to submit it Generic Valium Pill by the Dec. 31 deadline.”

Some ocean management experts downplayed Bowles’ decision to delegate regulatory authority. Richard Delaney, executive director of the Generic Valium Pill Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, believes that integration of state, regional and Generic Valium Pill local governments is essential to cohesive ocean management.

“I see plenty of opportunity for Generic Valium Pill the parties to still coordinate on definitions of ‘appropriate scale’ and best siting options,” Delaney said in an email.  “The political and ecological realities are that even within a ‘comprehensive state ocean plan’ there are Generic Valium Pill ecological features and issues that differ significantly region by region along the Generic Valium Pill Mass coastline and to which the plan must be sensitive.”