STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Days after President Donald Trump issued an executive order halting new offshore wind leases and permits — potentially impacting the fate of the anticipated Arthur Kill Terminal — the Richmond County Democratic Committee issued a statement condemning Trump’s “reckless attack.”

Arthur Kill Terminal, which has been in the planning stages for over five years, is meant to function as a specialized port at the foot of the Outerbridge Crossing where offshore wind turbines and towers could be assembled and staged before being brought out to sea.

However, with Trump’s executive order stopping any new offshore wind projects from being approved, the chances of the terminal breaking ground — which will bring hundreds of union jobs to Staten Island — will progressively lower.

Six hundred of the jobs are slated to be in the construction sector, while another 150 jobs will open in the operations sector should the project break ground.

“As a result of the president’s petty obsession with and disdain for forward-thinking wind technology, Staten Island will lose out on the very significant economic benefits that would result from this project,” Richmond County Democratic Committee Chair Laura Sword said in a written statement. “Nearly all our local elected officials saw this as a big win for the borough and supported it every step of the way. Staten Islanders want to know if their representatives will have their backs now and unite against this executive order to ensure we don’t lose these much-needed jobs.”

Trump had previously said offshore wind “ruin[s] your neighborhood,” though there isn’t any evidence to suggest that.

In fact, according to the Oceantic Network, $6.1 billion of the offshore wind industry is dedicated supply chain and manufacturing investments — with 57% of those investments impacting Republican congressional districts. The industry at large is worth $14 billion, Oceantic Network displayed.

“It isn’t about politics; it is about the lives of thousands of Staten Islanders. Instead of harnessing unlimited clean energy, creating sustainable union jobs, and boosting tax revenues, the Trump administration’s unjustified ego-driven defunding will hurt Staten Islanders,” Democratic Committee Labor Chair Mohammed Karim Chowdhury said.

The committee made a plea to Staten Islanders to stand with them and “demand that Nicole Malliotakis take a firm stand against the president’s blatant overreach on this issue and fight to ensure the Arthur Kill Terminal project moves forward and the many jobs it promises to create.”

Malliotakis was scheduled to meet with the minds behind the terminal late last week.

A spokeswoman for the congresswoman, Natalie Baldassarre, said the following of the order: “This executive order puts a pause on issuing new permits and leases and calls for the incoming interior secretary to review wind permitting practices. We still do not know the impact this will have on Staten Island’s project…”

Representatives of Arthur Kill Terminal declined comment about how Trump’s order will affect the project and the committee’s statement at this time.

Malliotakis did not answer a request for comment about the Richmond County Democratic Committee’s statements by the time of publication.

Support from Elected Officials

A majority of Staten Island elected officials have been vocal in their support of the terminal’s establishment, with Councilman Joseph Borelli (R – South Shore) leading the charge.

Atlantic Offshore Terminals, the company behind the terminal, received a letter of support in 2024 from: State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn); Assemblymember Charles Fall (D-North Shore); Assemblymember Sam Pirozzolo (R-Mid-Island); Assemblymember Mike Reilly (R-South Shore) and Assemblymember Michael Tannousis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn).

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also voiced his approval, helping the terminal receive $48 million in federal funding in 2022.

And if local and state support isn’t enough, even former President Joe Biden shouted out the terminal in a February 2023 visit to New York City.