Vineyard Wind: Most new blade debris projected to miss island

Some debris was found on Nobadeer Beach Friday morning. It was collected by Vineyard Wind's cleanup team, now made up of 56 employees and contractors on island.

Approximately half of the fiberglass shell of the blade remains attached to the turbine, while most of the interior foam dislodged during the initial failure last Saturday, according to Vineyard Wind.

Monitoring of the remaining attached piece is ongoing, the company said, and a plan is being developed for its removal.

Vineyard Wind vessels were hoping to recover the large section of fiberglass that fell off Thursday, but it has since sunk to the ocean floor and will be "recovered in due course," the company said.

Vessel crews will continue efforts to collect other debris offshore to lessen the amount landing on Nantucket beaches.

Two models are being used to project the path of debris in the water, one from the U.S. Coast Guard and one from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Vineyard Wind is managing all current and future cleanup efforts. No town staff are engaged in picking up debris anymore, except to serve in advisory roles, the town said.

Cleanup crews will also be monitoring some north shore areas including Jetties Beach to ensure no debris is present for Saturday's annual triathlon. Offshore crews are collecting pieces that ended up on Tuckernuck and Muskeget. 

All debris will be taken off island by Vineyard Wind. The town said private citizens that helped clean up debris before should get in touch with Vineyard Wind to make sure it is disposed of properly. Citizens should refrain from handling debris going forward and leave it to the cleaning crews, the release said.

To report any debris, call 833-609-5768, or inform the cleanup contractor through this link.

Both the company and the town plan to eventually conduct water quality testing to check for micro plastics and fiberglass particles.

Vineyard Winds is working on setting up a process for businesses or individuals impacted by the debris to file financial claims.

"The impacts of this event will continue to unfold in the coming days and weeks. Vineyard Wind is fully responsible for the repercussions on Nantucket, and Town Administration and the Select Board will ensure they are held accountable," the release from the town said.

Vineyard Wind's management of the situation is being monitored by the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The BSEE shut down the wind farm's operations on Monday as a result of the incident.

Daily updates on the situation will be coming from the town for the immediate future. Updates can also be seen here.