Overview
- HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the CDC’s NIOSH in late summer to prepare research on how offshore wind projects could affect fishing businesses and related activities.
- Kennedy met with NIOSH Director John Howard and identified outside experts for consultation, and the Surgeon General’s office is involved in the effort.
- An HHS spokesperson said the work is currently paused because of the federal government shutdown.
- One focus area is electromagnetic fields from subsea power cables, a topic where advocates and existing research have reached differing conclusions on potential harms.
- The study aligns with broader administration actions that have reviewed or temporarily halted projects such as Revolution Wind and Empire Wind, with other East Coast proposals like US Wind still facing scrutiny.