News 12 has exclusively learned Danish energy company Ørsted plans to stop work and remove all equipment from Island Beach State Park following the announcement they're canceling the offshore wind projects.

This update is according to what an employee of the company told News 12’s Jim Murdoch Friday morning. People who visited Island Beach State Park noticed work continued in the areas where Ørsted's contractors prepared trenches for cables. Local town leaders like Seaside Park Mayor John Peterson say the public needs answers.

"People have literally asked some of the construction workers who are down there on site and said, ‘We've learned and heard this press release that somehow Ørsted is pulling out of doing this project. Why are you continuing?’ And the answer given regularly was this will continue," said Peterson.

The employee told News 12 it will take some time to finalize the end of those contracts. As part of the original agreement, Ørsted must also return the land in the park the way it was before construction.

An official statement to News 12 from Ørsted was more vague about the company's future plans, saying "Ørsted is currently evaluating all aspects of the projects, including supply contracts and other arrangements."

The employee did not say how quickly all work would end and exactly when the contractors would leave.

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