Debris from a 115,000-pound, 300-foot-tall GE Vernova wind turbine blade, which fell from the Vineyard Wind farm off Nantucket in mid-July while it was being tested, may end up at southern-facing beaches in Montauk during the coming days, East Hampton Town officials warned Wednesday.
The pieces of the blade, made of fiberglass and foam, are assumed to be small or even "popcorn sized" at this point, according to a debriefing document that Vineyard Wind provided to coastal towns. Some, however, may be larger, the company noted. "Limited" amounts of fiberglass may be in the water, "typically green or white in color and similar to materials used in boat construction," Vineyard Wind said.
However, Tim Treadwell, East Hampton Town's senior harbormaster, said Thursday afternoon that he hadn't seen any yet. "We were told debris had washed up, but I'm unclear on the source of that. Lifeguards patrolled the beaches, and we patrolled in our four-wheel drives yesterday. All of my officers were told to be on the lookout. They're canvassing areas they may not usually focus on. We've gotten no calls. We're basically just monitoring now in the event that something does wash up."
Craig Gilvarg, a spokesman for Vineyard Wind, said in a statement that the company has received and is responding to "unconfirmed reports of potential debris in the area of Ditch Plains Beach and Montauk's southern-facing beaches." As part of its debris recovery efforts, he said, Vineyard Wind "dispatched a crew to patrol Ditch Plains Beach on Wednesday, Aug. 22, which started at the beach and proceeded east to the Montauk Point Lighthouse (about 4 miles) for roughly three hours. No blade-related debris was observed during that patrol." Vineyard Wind's crew returned Thursday, but so far there have been no new debris sightings.
In a Facebook alert Wednesday, East Hampton Town said the debris was deemed "not hazardous to people or the environment." Nonetheless, officials ask that the public not handle it directly and instead, contact the Marine Patrol at 631-537-7575.
Vineyard Wind offered similar advice, asking beachgoers or boaters to call or text 781-831-1134 or visit vineyardwind1.ethicspoint.com to report debris sightings to ensure safe recovery. "Members of the public should avoid handling debris, as the fiberglass pieces can be sharp and lead to cuts if handled without proper gloves. Vineyard Wind is working to bag, track, and transport all debris off the island and to proper storage as soon as possible."
After the so-called "blade event," Vineyard Wind said turbine operations and construction were immediately stopped. Working with the Coast Guard, a safety zone of 500 meters was established around the turbine. The company used modeling provided by the Coast Guard and Rutgers University to track the potential path of debris.
"All recovery efforts are being conducted in an environmentally responsible manner and appropriately aligned with Tribal Nations, qualified shorebird monitors, and dedicated visual observers for wildlife," Vineyard Wind stated.
An initial assessment of the environmental considerations of the accident was completed by Arcadis US, Inc., a global engineering and environmental consulting firm. The report concluded that the materials are considered inert and while Teflon coating, which is categorized as a PFAS, or "forever chemical," was attached to the blades, only a small amount was used, and it is highly stable.
"The current risk concern is the potential for physical contact of debris by child and adult recreational users of public beach and shoreline areas, currently mitigated by the ongoing/future program to recovery debris," Arcadis reported. When the wind farm is complete, it's expected to power roughly 400,000 homes in Massachusetts, according to a company website.
