How Has The Town Responded To The Vineyard Wind Turbine Debris Situation?

Eight hours after island residents awoke to discover thousands of pieces of debris from Vineyard Wind's broken turbine blade strewn across Nantucket's beaches, the town formally addressed the situation with a press release.

The statement - shared just after 3 p.m. on Tuesday - largely reiterated what Vineyard Wind had announced earlier in the day: debris recovery efforts were underway along the south shore, the company had deployed teams to the island to assist, and the fragments of fiberglass and foam were "non-toxic." 

The town disclosed that municipal staff - including employees from the Harbormaster's office, the Nantucket Land Bank, and a "local contractor" would assist with the clean-up effort. Vineyard Wind, the town stated, would provide regular updates to island officials. 

"The water is closed to swimming on all south shore beaches, due to large floating debris and sharp fiberglass shards," Nantucket Harbormaster Sheila Lucey stated. "You can walk on the beaches, however, we strongly recommend you wear footwear due to sharp, fiberglass shards and debris on the beaches."

The town also urged people to leave their pets at home and not take them to the south shore beaches. There was no immediate estimate or timetable for when the beaches would be reopened to swimming.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide public information updates as the Vineyard Wind debris recovery efforts progress.”

Perhaps most significantly, the town disclosed that Vineyard Wind executives had communicated the company’s pledge "that the Town is reimbursed for any of its expenses. The Good Neighbor Agreement between the Town and Vineyard Wind preserves the right to pursue recovery for any tort suffered by the Town or any resident or visitor."

Nantucket Select Board member Malcolm MacNab was one of the few town officials who picked up the phone to discuss the situation with the Current on Tuesday. 

"I’m not happy with it," MacNab said. "They shouldn’t be there anyway. Those wind farms shouldn't be there and now we have to deal with it. We need renewable energy but obviously, it’s not a good spot for them."

The other members of the Select Board were more muted in their response. The Current reached out to each member of the board to ask if they thought Vineyard Wind's response to the situation was adequate.

"I have no basis for comparison as to the adequacy of the response," Select Board chair Brooke Mohr said. "Any further comments will have to wait until I learn more tomorrow."

Vice-chair Matt Fee stated: "I'm in the bakery, not on the beach, so anything I said would just be guessing. No swimming or walking barefoot on south shore beaches (is) not a mid-July press release any of us want to be releasing."

Dawn Hill Holdgate, who was chair of the board when it signed the Good Neighbor Agreement with Vineyard Wind, stated "I don't know yet," when asked about the adequacy of Vineyard Wind's response. "I hope it is all cleaned up very soon and that the beaches can safely reopen for swimming."

Select Board member Tom Dixon said last night he was unaware Vineyard Wind had sent eight people to the island for the clean-up effort. "I guess I'll see what they have to say tomorrow (Wednesday)."

The Chamber of Commerce also largely withheld any comments about the situation. When asked about the Vineyard Wind debris and the potential impacts on businesses and tourism, Chamber executive director Pete Burke told the Current: "Evidenced by the rapidly changing last few hours, this situation is too complex for us to comment on currently. We hope to lend our viewpoint of the potential impacts to tourism and our economy when appropriate. We support all of the immediate efforts being taken to clean up debris."

But one outspoken former town official did not mince words. Charter boat captain Bob DeCosta, who previously served on the Select Board, offered sharp criticism of Vineyard Wind over the situation unfolding on the beaches on Tuesday.

"I can believe they had a broken blade, it’s inevitable that you’re going to have that, but what I can't believe is the town’s lack of response and Vineyard Wind's lack of response," DeCosta said. "It happened on Saturday. I want to know when the town was notified. Sending eight people here? They would have been here already. I have so many questions.

"This stuff will be floating around the island for weeks if not longer," DeCosta added. "I think they were hoping it wouldn't come ashore, and they wouldn't have to tell anyone. Now we could have shards of fiberglass and pieces of styrofoam coming up on the beaches all summer. The problem with styrofoam is it doesn't break down, it gets marine growth on it and then it becomes microplastics that fish and birds will eat."

Vineyard Wind officials will be on-island Wednesday to brief the Select Board at its weekly meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in the community room at the town's public safety facility at 4 Fairgrounds Road.