Largest Commercial Offshore Wind Farm A US nuclear power plant has been temporarily shut down after a “blade failure incident” over the weekend dumped debris into the ocean near Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, which quickly washed up on nearby shorelines.
Just seven months ago, a wind farm owned by Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, began operating about 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts. Vineyard Wind eventually 62 There are turbines in the area, but only 10 are currently operational, contributing about 136 megawatts of electricity to the local power grid. W.G.B.H. report.
“Massachusetts residents should not be forced to spend their hard-earned money on environmental cleanup and an unstable energy source that provides unreliable and unproven results.”
These turbines are huge and tall. 850 feetEach turbine also has three blades longer than a football field.
On Saturday, a blade on one of the turbines “broke off about 20 metres from its base,” said Craig Gillberg, a spokesman for Vineyard Wind Corp. Despite the damage, the blade remains attached to the turbine.
Still, the “break” was enough to send hundreds of bladed shards into the water. Although Gillberg described the shards as “non-toxic fiberglass,” Nantucket’s harbormaster noted that these fiberglass shards were still “sharp.” Nantucket officials It encouraged people to “wear appropriate footwear” when walking on beaches and to “leave pets at home.”
By Tuesday afternoon, the debris had become such a problem that the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement announced that “operations” at the Vineyard Wind Farm were “suspended until further notice.” Beaches on the island’s south shore were also closed as company crews worked to remove the debris.
It wasn’t easy: By Wednesday afternoon, six truckloads of blade debris had been removed from the site. AP Reports say the beaches on the south shore resume for swimming and other “recreational activities.”
No injuries have been reported so far. GE, which built and installed the turbines, is “currently conducting an analysis of the root causes of the incident,” Vineyard Wind said in a statement.
“We are working to remove debris and mobilize additional resources on the island to expedite the cleanup as quickly as possible,” Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller said in a statement. “You can rest assured that we will remain here until the work is completed and that we will work to ensure the beach is clean.”
Despite the progress, residents and local officials are seeking clarification. At a town board meeting Wednesday evening, board members Malcolm McNab He criticized Vineyard Wind, which claimed the debris was “non-toxic.”
“It’s a toxic substance,” he argued.
“This whole incident has me upset.”
Paul Craney of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance also said he was “outraged” by “everything,” including that the turbines could suffer such a catastrophic failure after only a few months of use.
“There should be an immediate investigation into the turbines currently in operation and those that are out of service to determine if they are faulty,” Craney told The Blaze News. “Massachusetts residents should not be forced to spend their hard-earned money on an unreliable energy source that will result in environmental cleanup and unreliable, unproven results.”
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