More Vineyard Wind debris washes up as Harris campaign comes to Nantucket

[JACK AYLMER]

DEBRIS FROM A DAMAGED OFFSHORE WIND TURBINE CONTINUES TO WASH UP ON THE SHORES OF NANTUCKET.

JUST AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ADMINISTRATION THAT CHAMPIONED THIS PROJECT BRING THEIR PRESIDENTIAL BID TO THE MASSACHUSETTS ISLAND.

VINEYARD WIND ANNOUNCED MONDAY THAT MORE LARGE PIECES FROM THEIR MALFUNCTIONING TURBINE BLADE HAD FALLEN INTO THE SURROUNDING OCEAN.

MORE DEBRIS IS NOW EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ON NANTUCKET’S BEACHES AFTER THIS LATEST DETACHMENT.

THE PROBLEM CONTINUING NEARLY THREE WEEKS AFTER IT FIRST BEGAN.

THAT DEVELOPMENT CAME A DAY BEFORE A CAMPAIGN EVENT ON THE ISLAND FOR VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS. 

SECOND GENTLEMAN DOUG EMHOFF WAS IN ATTENDANCE-

MET WITH CALLS FOR ANSWERS FROM SOME NANTUCKET RESIDENTS.

LOCALS HAVE BEEN VOICING CONCERNS ABOUT CONTINUED CONSTRUCTION AT VINEYARD WIND WITH APPROVAL FROM FEDERAL OFFICIALS DESPITE A PREVIOUS SUSPENSION ORDER.

[LOCAL]

“A question for vineyard wind, they have a stop halt on the project. And the question is, are they actually stopped? There’s so many boats being seen on marine traffic.”

[JACK AYLMER]

THE VINEYARD WIND PROJECT WAS STILL UNDERGOING WORK TO BECOME FULLY OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE INITIAL INCIDENT.

CONSTRUCTION WAS OFFICIALLY HALTED AFTER THE BLADE CAME DETACHED.

BUT RESIDENTS NOTED AT A COMMUNITY MEETING A WEEK AGO THAT IT APPEARED WORK HAD STARTED BACK UP AGAIN.

[RESIDENTS]

“So what exactly is halted? Because there are a lot of vessels out there. And if I were vineyard wind, I would only have vessels, looking for debris and getting that piece of fiberglass off the ocean floor.”

[JACK AYLMER]

THE BUREAU OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT CLARIFIED LAST WEEKEND THAT VINEYARD WIND WAS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE SOME WORK AT THE PROJECT.

BUT MAINTAINED THE COMPANY WAS NOT ALLOWED BUILD ANY ADDITIONAL TURBINES OR GENERATE POWER FROM EXISTING FACILITIES-

AS A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE ACCIDENT REMAINS ONGOING.

WE’VE BEEN FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT AT VINEYARD WIND SINCE IT FIRST OCCURRED. TO SEE OUR PREVIOUS REPORTING AND GET UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING STORY, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP AND SIGN UP FOR ALERTS FROM ME – JACK AYLMER – FOR THE LATEST.