NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) — The Preservation Society of Newport County is asking a judge to halt work on a controversial wind farm located 15 miles offshore. The Preservation Society, which owns the famed Newport Mansions, sued the federal government last year after the Revolution Wind project was approved. Their complaint names the U.S. Department of the Interior, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) as defendants. In a new court filing, the Preservation Society asked a judge to rule in their favor before the case heads to trial. They claim BOEM broke the law by not considering the consequences the turbines would have on the Newport Mansions and other historic landmarks. "We can't have it both ways," Greg Werkeheiser, the attorney for the Preservation Society, told 12 News. "We bend the rules for one industry and not expect that to be harmful when other industries say, 'Well, if it's good enough for offshore wind, why isn't good enough for coal or fracking?'" BACKGROUND: Newport Preservation Society sues feds over approved offshore wind farms The Preservation Society says the sight of the turbines obstructs views of the open ocean. They believe this will have a lasting impact on Newport's tourism economy. Climate activists are pushing back, however. "You can barely see the turbines. They're just minuscule on the horizon," Nick Horton from Climate Action RI told 12 News. "The government has decided that these turbines were developed appropriately according to the law, and Newport Preservation Society is basically trying to whine that they weren't treated properly." Horton said the benefits of the wind turbines far outweigh the costs. He argues the turbines could power more than 350,000 homes when completed, which would cut down on energy costs. "We have to transition off of fossil fuels and this is the only way we're going to do it," Horton added. RELATED: Mass. and RI to power 1 million+ homes with offshore wind The Preservation Society's lawyer said they understand the environmental concerns, but they also want the federal government to consider design changes to the turbines, hoping it will ease the impacts on their properties. "There aren't many places left like Newport, where you can go and experience what it was like 200-300 years ago, with views that are pristine," Werkheiser said. "Would you put a thousand turbines next to the Statue of Liberty?" Climate activists want the Preservation Society to drop the lawsuit, saying the future of the planet is at stake. "It's particularly offensive that it's coming from an organization that runs mansions back from the Gilded Age," Horton said. "[They are] trying to tell the rest of Rhode Island how to operate, trying to tell the rest of us that we can't try to stop global warming; that we can't try to get renewable energy because only their interests, the interests of the extremely wealthy, matter." Orsted, the company behind Revolution Wind, declined to comment on the lawsuit directly. They told 12 News in a statement that their projects "received federal construction approvals following years of reviews and scientific studies as well as public comment and other stakeholder engagement." The Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management declined to comment on the lawsuit. NEXT: GE Vernova details blade removal progress at Vineyard Wind Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW