The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear two cases challenging the federal approval of Vineyard Wind. The court denied the petitions Monday.
Commercial fishing interests sued the federal agencies involved in approving the wind farm, which is under construction 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
The lawsuits were originally filed in 2021 and 2022.
The fishing groups argued that approving Vineyard Wind violated procedure and several environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act.
Lower courts sided with the government approval of the wind farm, and now the Supreme Court leaves those decisions in place.
One of the lawsuits was filed by the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance.
It counts about 50 New Bedford and Fairhaven fishing vessels among its members, along with vessels from Harwich Port, Wellfleet, Provincetown, Edgartown, and Menemsha.
