Assateague Island and the Sinepuxent Bay are a beautiful wild sanctuary. We have a responsibility to act as stewards of the coast and protect it for future generations. But right now, Amazon (AWS) and the Maryland Broadband Cooperative are trying to create a loophole into our local zoning laws to proceed with routing private subsea cables and plan to drill, bore, and drag private internet cables directly underneath the protected beaches and wild horse habitats. Residents deserve clear answers about the proposed route, its environmental risks, and how the project fits with local zoning protections and Worcester County’s moratorium on data infrastructure.

This corporate shortcut sidesteps the county's moratorium on data infrastructure and puts everything we love about our coast irreparably at risk:

Severe Ecological Peril: Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) under Assateague Island and Sinepuxent Bay can permanently alter and harm the fragile waters and shorelines our wild horses rely on. The public deserves a thorough, transparent review of those risks.

Not Just ONE: If officials give AWS a special backdoor pass to use our public land, the Telecommunications Act (FCC) could set a precedent for Worcester County & Ocean City. Google, Meta, and Microsoft will be next, turning our local airport into a major international telecommunication hub with each new cable having a risk of damaging Assateague Island and Sinepuxent Bay with repeated HDD.

Zero Benefit for Us: This project does not appear to lower internet bills, speed up our home internet connection, improve cellular coverage, or create local jobs. It is pure corporate convenience at our expense. Officials should identify its direct benefits to the community and weigh them against the risks.

Our public parks and waterways are treasures to be protected, not playgrounds for tech industrialization. We The People demand our elected officials, Worcester County, Ocean City, State of Maryland Delegates & Senators, and our Federal Congressional and Senate representation reject this loophole and PROTECT Assateague Island and Sinepuxent Bay from destruction for private industry.