Vineyard Wind Turbine Debris Litters Nantucket’s South Shore, Prompting Cleanup Effort
It hasn't been a good headlines week for Nantucket. First Barstool Sports 'El Presidente' David Portnoy calls that United States Coast Guard for help, and now this.
Residents of Nantucket awoke Tuesday morning to find their southern beaches littered with debris from a Vineyard Wind turbine, sparking a rapid response from the offshore energy company. Reports began streaming in at daybreak of green and white foam, along with larger pieces that appeared to be fiberglass, scattered from Madaket to Nobadeer.
According to Nantucket Current, Vineyard Wind revealed that the debris originated from one of its turbine blades, which was damaged in an unspecified incident offshore on Saturday. While the cause of the damage remains under investigation, the company assured that no injuries were reported among their personnel or other mariners.
For a better understanding of the mess at hand, here are the photos taken by Nantucket Current and uploaded to its Instagram:
In response to the situation, Vineyard Wind announced the deployment of specialized teams to Nantucket to conduct a thorough cleanup of the affected beaches. The company is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard to maintain a 500-meter safety zone around the damaged turbine to ensure the safety of both personnel and mariners.
Owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Avangrid Renewables, Vineyard Wind has emphasized the non-toxic nature of the fiberglass debris, advising that it poses no threat to people or the environment. Nonetheless, they recommend that the public avoid handling the debris, leaving the task to their trained recovery teams. Two teams, each consisting of four members, will be tasked with clearing the debris from the shore.
The towering GE Haliade-X turbines, which reach heights of 853 feet, are almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower. It remains unclear whether the blade damage resulted from operational failure or an impact during installation.
Vineyard Wind has urged anyone who discovers debris to contact Ian Campbell at 781-983-8943 or via email at icampbell@vineyardwind.com.
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