Grassroots ocean advocates mark two years of persistence in a “David-vs.-Goliath” legal fight.    

Filing follows BOEM’s August 22 stop-work order

Today, the Marzulla Law Firm filed a motion for summary judgment on behalf of Green Oceans, a Rhode Island–based non-profit dedicated to protecting the ocean and the ecosystems it sustains, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The motion requests the Court to vacate and remand federal approvals for the Revolution Wind offshore wind project.

The filing marks a milestone in what has become a two-year struggle between a small group of concerned citizens and two Goliaths: the U.S. Department of Interior (under Secretary Deb Haaland) and the world’s largest wind developer, Orsted, which is 50.1% owned by the government of Denmark.

“Few thought we would get this far,” said Lisa Quattrocki Knight, President and co-founder of Green Oceans. “But two years later, here we are, proving that ordinary citizens can make a difference when protecting the ocean is at stake.”

Green Oceans’ lawyer, Roger J. Marzulla, served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the U.S. Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division in the Reagan Administration. Orsted is represented by Latham & Watkins, one of the world’s richest law firms.

The Case: Persistence Pays Off

Green Oceans first filed suit in January 2024, alleging that BOEM and other federal agencies short-circuited the law when they approved Revolution Wind’s permits to build 65 turbines and two offshore substations covering 83,798 acres of pristine ocean habitat on the Outer Coastal Shelf. Since then, the coalition has grown to include 37 co-plaintiffs and a wide range of allies – from fishermen to whale advocates and members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) — all united by a commitment to protect the ocean.

At the center of the case: Cox Ledge, a pristine marine habitat teeming with marine mammals and one of the last remaining spawning grounds for Southern New England cod. NOAA recently named the region a “habitat area of particular concern.” Despite that status, BOEM allowed the construction project to move forward without adequate environmental review.

Green Oceans submission kicks off a summary judgment process to invalidate federal approval of Revolution Wind.

The Laws at Issue

Green Oceans’ claims span six statutes, including the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

“Our OCSLA claim is especially powerful,” said Barbara Brink Chapman, Green Oceans Trustee and litigation strategist. “Congress made it clear: offshore projects must not interfere with navigation safety, fishing, protection of the environment, or national security. The government’s own record shows Revolution Wind disrupts all of these.”

Now, the Government Is Reviewing the Very Same Issues

On August 22, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management itself ordered construction on Revolution Wind to halt, citing unresolved concerns about national security and the prevention of interference with other uses.

“We are grateful for BOEM’s decisive action to halt the construction. This pause validates what we’ve been saying for two years: the project was rushed, unlawful, and dangerous,” added Chapman.

A Voice for Whales, Fishermen, and the Environment

In the lawsuit, fishermen have testified to shrinking cod and lobster stocks, declining charter revenues, and habitat destruction. Recreational boaters and sailors have documented radar interference, navigation hazards, and safety risks.

Among the most urgent claims: protection of the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale, with fewer than 360 individuals left alive. “This isn’t just about wind turbines. It’s about survival,” said Knight. “Survival of whales, survival of fisheries, survival of healthy oceans and the communities that depend on them.”

Fighting Above Its Weight

Against long odds and personal attacks, Green Oceans has kept the fight alive for nearly two years. With today’s filing, the case moves into its decisive stage.

"Green Oceans and its allies are proud to expose where the process fell short. We may be the underdog, but when a small group of concerned citizens are committed to a cause, even the largest developers must answer to the law," said Lisa Quattrocki Knight, President and co-founder of Green Oceans.

Green Oceans is a nonprofit, non-partisan group of community members dedicated to the preservation and protection of the ocean and the life it supports. For more information or to get involved, visit: https://green-oceans.org/.

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Grassroots ocean advocates mark two years of persistence in a “David-vs.-Goliath” legal fight.