Nantucket residents voice concerns as more turbine debris washes ashore

Nantucket, one of New England’s premier summer tourist destinations, experienced significant disruptions this week due to an incident at the nearby Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm. A broken turbine blade released fiberglass shards into the Atlantic Ocean. Some of those shards washed up on Nantucket’s beaches, prompting widespread closures along the island’s coastline.

“This is a disaster to our community,” one resident stated. “You know, these people should be paying our town millions to fine them for the problem.”

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The cleanup efforts have involved Vineyard Wind working with the U.S. Coast Guard and other local agencies. By Wednesday, much of the debris had reportedly been cleared, but public opinion on the project has soured in the aftermath of this turbine malfunction. Residents and business owners expressed their frustrations and concerns at a community meeting on Wednesday, July 17.

“Their debris has contaminated our oceans and beaches,” one Nantucket local said at the meeting. “And yes, undoubtedly this will have a negative effect on human and animal life and the ocean and the ocean itself, 100%, 100%, 100%.”

“My view of the wind farms is that it’s maybe the saddest thing I’ve ever seen, and will end up being the dumbest thing that’s ever happened to the people of Nantucket,” another resident added.

“I believe there is criminal negligence here,” an additional Nantucket local said. “And the damages are going to be impossible to calculate.”

Vineyard Wind’s CEO, Klaus Moeller, attended the town meeting to address the situation and reassure locals that the company was handling the cleanup. However, his appearance at the meeting was cut short, much to the dismay of locals, after it was reported that additional debris from the damaged turbine had fallen into the ocean, necessitating further removal efforts.

“We were informed just now that there’s been a development to the integrity of the blade,” Moeller said before departing. “We know very little, because we’ve been sitting here. I’m happy to stay here for a little bit longer, but then I need to go work with my team.”

Despite the initial cleanup, more green and white debris and sharp fiberglass shards continue to appear on previously cleared beaches. This raised fears about the potential toxic impact on marine life and the broader ecosystem, as well as the critical summer tourist season.

In response, the community set up a hotline to help contain the spread of debris and mitigate its effects. The town of Nantucket is attempting to keep residents updated as the situation develops. Vineyard Wind promised to continue coordinating cleanup efforts and address the concerns of the local community.