NANTUCKET, MASS. (WHDH) - “A significant part” of an already damaged offshore wind turbine blade fell into the ocean near Nantucket Thursday morning, officials announced.
The turbine has been at the center of widespread frustration on Nantucket for several days after an incident on Saturday caused one of the turbine blades to break up. Hours after a tense meeting between Vineyard Wind representatives and the Nantucket Select Board, Vineyard Wind confirmed the additional portion of the turbine had detached.
“With public officials, we will continue to keep the islands informed of developments as we work closely with state, federal, local, and tribal partners to respond to this evolving situation, with the safety of our personnel, the public, and the environment as our highest priority,” Vineyard Wind officials said.
Officials did not provide specific information about what caused the turbine to break up.
By Tuesday, though, debris was washing up on Nantucket’s south-facing beaches. Local authorities closed the beaches and only reopened them on Wednesday after crews combed the area for shards of fiberglass and other material.
Come Wednesday night, residents had sharp criticism of Vineyard Wind, with one saying “Clearly, Vineyard Wind is not a good neighbor.”
Vineyard Wind currently operates 10 turbines off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. It is planning to expand its wind farm to include 62 turbines, according to its website.
Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller spoke with the Select Board at Wednesday night’s meeting. Moeller later left the meeting early, saying “There’s a development on the integrity of the rest of the blade that is on there and I need to respond to that.”
Moeller did not immediately provide any additional information. But Vineyard Wind Senior Manager of Labor Relations and Workforce Development, roughly 1.5 hours after Moeller left, said the integrity of the remaining blade had been compromised and warned the blade could fall into the ocean.
Vineyard Wind’s turbine blades are the size of a football field.
With more debris entering the water and potentially drifting toward land, people on Nantucket said they are concerned about the impact on the island and the potential consequences for marine life.
Among complaints, public officials pushed back on an assertion from Moeller that the wind turbine debris is not toxic, with Select Board member Malcolm MacNab saying “The whole thing upsets me.”
A spokesperson for the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said regulators ordered Vineyard Wind to stop operations at all its windmills while investigators determine whether the issue that caused this weekend’s turbine failure impacted any other turbines.
In addition to the suspension order, the bureau spokesperson said regulators ordered Vineyard Wind to safeguard any evidence “that may be relevant to determining the cause of the incident.”
Vineyard Wind said it had maritime crews on scene preparing to respond when the new portion of the blade fell Thursday.
Though weather conditions were creating “a difficult working environment,” officials said a fleet of boats remained in the area “managing the situation” and working to remove large debris near midday Thursday.
Vineyard Wind said it also deployed additional crews to Nantucket in anticipation of more debris reaching the island in the coming hours and days.
The town of Nantucket in its own statement said the remaining portion of the blade fell at 6:40 a.m.
While crews were collecting debris, town officials said “a very large piece of debris” remained below the surface of the water.
“Vineyard Wind is monitoring the location and status of that piece and hopes to retrieve it while it remains offshore,” officials said.
The town of Nantucket said other cleanup efforts were ongoing.
Gov. Maura Healey similarly said the state is working to make sure debris get cleaned up.
“The state is down there right now working with local officials and addressing the debris and the cleanup and removal,” she said at an event. “We’re closely monitoring the situation.”
“We’re in touch with Vineyard Wind. We’re getting getting regular updates and I’m going to do everything I can to be on top of this,” Healey said.
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