US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate the potential harms of offshore wind farms, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Bloomberg said the order forms part of a broader Trump administration effort to scrutinise offshore wind development, a sector that former president Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised.
According to the report, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by Kennedy, instructed the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in late summer to prepare research on offshore wind’s impact on fishing businesses.
Bloomberg reported that Kennedy met with NIOSH director John Howard about the initiative and identified experts for Howard’s team to consult.
“Work on this report has been halted solely due to the Democrat-led government shutdown,” an HHS spokesperson told Reuters.
Bloomberg added that the office of the US surgeon general has also been involved, and the HHS had planned to complete the study within a few months before the shutdown interrupted progress.