Additional debris from a damaged offshore wind turbine continues to wash up on the shores of Nantucket. The update comes as representatives of the Biden-Harris administration who championed this project bring their presidential bid to the Massachusetts island.
Vineyard Wind announced on Monday, July 29, that more large pieces had detached from the malfunctioning turbine blade at its offshore wind farm, with the debris falling into the surrounding ocean amid expectations it will come ashore on Nantucket just as previous parts of the wreckage have.
This latest development comes nearly three weeks after the initial incident on July 13.
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The arrival of this new debris coincided with a campaign event on the island attended by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who was met with calls for answers from concerned Nantucket residents.
Locals have expressed growing frustration over an observed continuation of construction at the Vineyard Wind site, despite a previous suspension order issued after the accident first occurred.
The Vineyard Wind project was still under construction and not yet fully operational when the initial turbine blade failure happened. After the incident, construction was officially halted, but residents reported seeing activity at the site that suggested work had continued.
“A question for Vineyard Wind: They have a stop-halt on the project, and the question is, are they actually stopped?” one resident asked during a recent community meeting. “There’s so many boats being seen on marine traffic. 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.”
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) clarified on July 27 that Vineyard Wind has been allowed to continue certain work at the project site. However, the company is not permitted to build any additional turbines or generate power from existing facilities while a federal investigation into the accident is ongoing.
[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.
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