Housing & Development · Humboldt County
Shellfish Growers Raise Offshore Wind Terminal Concerns; Public Comment Open Through Nov. 30
During a Tuesday webinar led by Tanner Etherton of the Schatz Energy Research Center, Humboldt Bay shellfish growers and researchers outlined risks posed by the proposed Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal on the Samoa Peninsula, including introduction of oyster herpesvirus (OSHV-1), dredging-released contaminants, chemical exposure, and harmful algal blooms. The bay's aquaculture sector supports 57 full-time equivalent jobs, generated $4.8 million in labor income, and supplies roughly 66% of West Coast shellfish seed; growers warned vessel traffic could jump from 10–15 to 380–400 annually. NOAA has funded hydrodynamic modeling through the Danish Hydraulic Institute to study pathogen spread via ship traffic. The Humboldt Bay Harbor District's Notice of Preparation is open for public comment through Nov. 30.