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The wind debris from a turbine blade began washing up on the shore on July 16, days creating a health hazard for humans and animals.
It’s a story that environmental groups would ordinarily be all over: a greedy energy producer has an accident, and a beach is strewn with debris. The habitat is spoiled. The company’s local operations are shut down. [emphasis, links added]
But they’re not — because it’s not an oil spill. It’s debris from a broken wind turbine that washed up on the south shore of Nantucket in Massachusetts.
Now, the water is closed to swimmers and the offshore wind farm it came from is being shut down by the feds “until further notice.”
Where’s Greenpeace when you really need them?
According to the Nantucket Current, the debris from the turbine blade began washing ashore on July 16, days after it had suffered damage.
Vineyard Wind, the operator, said that one of the blades was involved in an “offshore incident” on July 13 but declined to elaborate further as to what it was.
“The blade experienced a breakage approximately 20 meters out from the root,” said company spokesman Craig Gilvarg.
“The turbine was in its commissioning phase and was still undergoing testing. Nearly the entirety of the blade remains affixed to the turbine and has not fallen into the water.”
A few days later, though, residents could clearly see the effects of the blade’s disintegration:
“Residents began reporting pieces of green and white foam, along with larger pieces of what appears to be fiberglass, along southern Nantucket beaches at daybreak, stretching from Madaket out to Nobadeer,” the Current reported.
Almost a week after the report, residents were still documenting the debris washing up on the island:
The town closed the beaches for swimming after 11 a.m. on the day the wind turbine debris was found.
“The water is closed to swimming on all south shore beaches, due to large floating debris and sharp fiberglass shards,” said Nantucket Harbormaster Sheila Lucey.
“You can walk on the beaches, however, we strongly recommend you wear footwear due to sharp, fiberglass shards and debris on the beaches.”
The federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement also announced that afternoon that Vineyard Wind’s offshore turbines had been shut down.
Top image via CBS Boston YouTube/screencap
h/t Steve B.
Read rest at Western Journal
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The post Nantucket Wind Farm Debris Still Washing Up, Locals Warned To Wear Shoes On Beach appeared first on Energy News Beat.
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