Nantucket closes beaches, Vineyard Wind farm shut down. Turbine debris. – Nantucket Current

“Southern beaches closed due to turbine debris. Vineyard Wind farm shut down”, reads the headline of the Nantucket Current.

Our colleagues at the Nantucket Current first reported that wind turbine blade damage has impacted the island’s water area and, now, beaches on the south-facing side of the island, from Madaket out to Nobadeer.

The MV Times [Martha’s Vineyard] reports that the U.S. Coast Guard has also issued warnings about floating marine debris and has established a 500-meter safety perimeter. All mariners are requested to use extreme caution while transiting the area.

In a startling move yesterday, as the situation developed and expanded, the federal government shut down Vineyard Wind farm operations – and Nantucket closed its south beaches to swimming – as public outcries grow louder.

Lifeguards, residents, and visitors mobilized to clean-up.

Photo: Nantucket Current

The Current reports, “The turbine blade experienced a breakage approximately 20 meters out from the root. The turbine was in its commissioning phase and was still undergoing testing.  Nearly all of the blade remains affixed to the turbine and has not fallen into the water.”

Yet, photos of turbine blade parts have shown up in the waters and now over the beaches. The debris is made up of styrofoam and fiberglass.

In an updated Current report published yesterday:

“Debris from a broken Vineyard Wind turbine blade washed up all over Nantucket’s south shore Tuesday morning, prompting the offshore energy company to mount a cleanup effort and the federal government to shut down the wind farm “until further notice.”

“The water is closed to swimming on all south shore beaches, due to large floating debris and sharp fiberglass shards,” Nantucket Harbormaster Sheila Lucey said. “You can walk on the beaches, however we strongly recommend you wear footwear due to sharp, fiberglass shards and debris on the beaches.”

It’s unclear if the broken turbine is the result of a blade failure during operation, or some sort of impact during its installation.

Residents began reporting pieces of green and white foam, along with larger pieces of what appears to fiberglass, along southern Nantucket beaches at daybreak, stretching from Madaket out to Nobadeer.

The federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement announced Tuesday afternoon that Vineyard Wind’s “operations are shut down until further notice.”

All south shore beaches were closed to swimming by the town just after 11 a.m. as a result of the debris. There is no estimate for when they will be reopened. “The water is closed to swimming on all south shore beaches, due to large floating debris and sharp fiberglass shards,” Nantucket Harbormaster Sheila Lucey said. “You can walk on the beaches, however we strongly recommend you wear footwear due to sharp, fiberglass shards and debris on the beaches.”

The exact nature of the incident is not yet known, but there were no injuries to any Vineyard Wind personnel or other mariners.

“Vineyard Wind’s GE Haliade-X turbines that will be attached to the monopiles drilled into the sea floor will reach 853 feet in the air at the tip of the blade, each nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower.

There will eventually be a total of 62 turbines constructed in the Vineyard Wind 1 lease area. As of mid-July, 19 had been completed, with 10 operational. 

Capt. Carl Bois, of the fishing charter Topspin out of Nantucket, was in the Vineyard Wind lease area on Sunday and told the Current he noticed a significant amount of debris. “There was so much debris at the wind farm,” Bois said. “We covered many miles and only saw the debris at the wind farm site [on the water]: big sheets of fiberglass with foam core and lots of loose foam.”

Bois shared the following photos of the debris he saw on Sunday, which Vineyard Wind spokesman Craig Gilvarg has confirmed is from the damaged turbine blade and has been recovered.

Photos from Nantucket Current’s Twitter feed – @AckCurrent:

Nobadeer Beach 😩 pic.twitter.com/9zSIPtjVVz

— Nantucket Current (@ACKCurrent) July 16, 2024

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Statements from Vineyard Wind:

Statement 1 -7/15

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, today issued the following statement regarding an incident involving blade damage on a wind turbine in its offshore energy area.

“On Saturday evening, Vineyard Wind experienced blade damage on a wind turbine in its offshore development area. No personnel or third parties were in the vicinity of the turbine at the time, and all employees of Vineyard Wind and its contractors are safe and secure. As part of its permitting, Vineyard Wind has detailed plans to guide its response to incidents such as this. Following those protocols, Vineyard Wind established a safety perimeter, and worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to issue notice to mariners. GE, as the project’s turbine and blade manufacturer and installation contractor, will now be conducting the analysis into the root cause of the incident. As that analysis takes place, Vineyard Wind will continue working with federal, state, tribal, and local stakeholders to ensure the health and safety of its workforce, mariners, and the environment.”

Statement 2 – Vineyard Wind Announces Safety Response and Debris Recovery Efforts on Nantucket – 7/16

“Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, today announced that it is mobilizing debris recovery teams on Nantucket to survey the southern-facing beaches of the island for the recovery of debris following the blade damage incident that took place on Saturday, July 13, 2024. In addition, Vineyard Wind remains focused on ensuring the safety of personnel and mariners in the offshore area, and continues to work with the U.S. Coast Guard to maintain a safety zone of 500 meters around the impacted turbine offshore.

Vineyard Wind is fully committed to a swift and safe recovery of all debris, with an unwavering focus on community safety and environmental protection. As part of its immediate action plan, Vineyard Wind communicated with officials on Nantucket to inform them of the presence of debris and recovery efforts on the southern-facing beaches of the island.

• Deployment of Teams: Vineyard Wind is deploying two teams of four individuals to Nantucket to remove debris.
• Non-Toxic Debris: The debris consists of non-toxic fiberglass fragments ranging in size from small pieces to larger sections, typically green or white in color.
• Debris Size Estimate: Any potential debris washing ashore will be pieces 1 square foot or less, which should only be picked up and collected by patrol teams.
• Safety Precautions: Although the fiberglass fragments are not hazardous to people or the environment, Vineyard Wind recommends that only its employees or contractors collect and remove the debris.
• Beach Patrols: Starting today, July 16, 2024, and continuing for several days, Vineyard Wind will deploy trained individuals to walk the southern-facing beaches to collect debris. Patrol teams will inspect the areas in the morning and evening.
• Target Areas: Teams will visit Miacomet Beach and the Southeastern tip of Nantucket, including Nobadeer Beach, Madequecham Beach, Pebble Beach, Tom Nevers Beach, Low Beach, and Sconset Beach, or other areas where debris may wash ashore.
• Reporting Debris: If debris is found by members of the public, property owners, or town officials, they are advised to immediately contact:
  • Ian Campbell
  • Phone: 781-983-8943
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Reports of debris can also be sent directly to the cleanup contractor at this link: Recon Survey (NRCC) (arcgis.com).

Vineyard Wind is dedicated to transparent and ongoing communication with our community and stakeholders, and will continue to provide updates on the progress of its debris recovery efforts. As Vineyard Wind manages debris recovery efforts, safety, environmental health, and community well-being remain the highest priorities.”

With acknowledgements to the Nantucket Current. This is a developing story.

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