FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Contact:
Tim Whitehouse (240) 247-0299 [email protected]
PEER Opens Investigation Seeking Records Behind Interior Department’s Offshore Wind Halt
Washington, DC — Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) this week submitted a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the Department of the Interior (DOI) seeking records related to the Department’s December 22 announcement that it was pausing five large offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns.
The FOIA requests seek to clarify whether and when DOI officials reviewed classified national security assessments, how the decision was cleared internally, and whether standard agency processes were followed prior to the announcement.
This investigation, conducted through FOIA requests, follows PEER’s earlier analysis raising questions about the legal basis for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s decision to halt the projects and the lack of publicly available information supporting the Department’s claims.
The requests seek records from the Office of the Secretary, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, including:
- Documents related to DOI’s consideration of any national security information used to justify the Director’s Orders pausing five offshore wind projects;
- Clearance logs demonstrating who signed off on those decisions related to those decisions;
- Records concerning the drafting and clearance of DOI’s December 22 press release;
- Correspondence and records related to Secretary Burgum’s December 22 media appearances announcing the pause, including subsequent public statements; and
- The signed SF-312 classified information nondisclosure agreement for Matthew Giacona, Acting Director of BOEM, who purportedly made the decisions.
The requests are intended to determine whether the Department’s stated national security rationale is supported by evidence and whether proper internal processes were followed. PEER will make responsive records public as they are received.
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Read the PEER Press Release on Burgum’s Offshore Wind Announcement
Read the PEER Congressional Letter on Burgum’s Annonucement
Look at Interior’s Offshore Wind Announcement
Examine requirements of the Congressional Review Act
Read Matthew Giacona’s Financial Disclosure Reports:
September 16 Filing
September 3 Filing
PEER protects public employees who protect our environment. We are a service organization for environmental and public health professionals, land managers, scientists, enforcement officers and other civil servants dedicated to upholding environmental laws and values. We work with current and former federal, state, local and tribal employees.
