Debris from the downed Vineyard Wind unit is continuing to wash ashore, this time impacting Westport, Massachusetts….and potentially more is on its way to Rhode Island.
After a wind turbine blade failed due to a manufacturing flaw near Nantucket, the massive Vineyard Wind facility was closed, and the city was poised to sue. Nantucket’s iconic beaches were cluttered with sharp fiberglass shards, a sub-optimum condition at the height of the summer tourist season.
Debris from the downed blade continues to wash ashore, this time impacting Westport, Massachusetts….and potentially more is on its way to Rhode Island.
Vineyard Wind Spokesperson Craig Gilvarg told 12 News they received a report of debris on Knubble Beach and confirmed its from the damaged blade.
“The amount of debris is very limited and is primarily pieces of foam measuring less than one foot in size,” Gilvarg said. “We have received additional reports of debris in the area of Horseneck Beach and Westport Town Beach and are responding to them.”
Westport Town Administrator James Hartnet told 12 News a Vineyard Wind representative said the company collected about four pounds of debris from “The Knubble” (Westport Harbor).
Vineyard Wind also received reports of potential debris sightings in Little Compton. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said it was thrown away before they could get their hands on it.
East Coast communities are now awakening from “green energy” dreams as the magnitude of the failure and the consequences of its environmental impact are realized.
Long Island officials are now asking Equinor (a Norway-based energy conglomerate) what contingency plans it has for its Empire Wind facility if a similar failure occurs.
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