State And Federal Regulators Address Vineyard Wind Turbine Blade Failure At Nantucket Select Board Meeting

It is “very unlikely” that any chemicals released from the Vineyard Wind blade collapse pose a significant risk to humans or animals, according to Wendy Heiger-Bernays, the chief researcher at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Research and Standards, who attended Wednesday’s Nantucket Select Board meeting along with other state and federal regulators.

That assertion was made as even more debris from Vineyard Wind’s damaged Haliade-X turbine blade may be headed toward the island soon as a result of tropical storm Debby rolling through the region.

Many of the potential risks of the debris are difficult to quantify, officials said, because of dilution in the water column and the emerging status of the relevant science.

“[The science] is in the very early stages so we don't have a very good understanding of what those human health impacts could be,” Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Assistant Director and Shellfish Program Leader Chrissy Petitpas said. “Pretty much all of your shellfish has microplastics in it…so the challenge is going to be discerning what this additional risk may be.”

There are currently no public health standards or tolerance levels for many of the contaminants that have caused concern on the island, such as microplastics, and long-term monitoring of the fishery will be key, as fish and shellfish will continue to ingest more plastic as the fiberglass and styrofoam debris breaks down further.

Wednesday’s meeting featured a number of state and federal officials including representatives from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and State Senator Julian Cyr. But for some on the Select Board, the response was too little, too late.

“I would have liked to see the people a couple of levels higher,” Select Board member Malcolm MacNab said. “I'm disappointed we never saw any of our federal elected officials…I'm disappointed with them and I'm disappointed we've never seen any actual decision-makers.”

Additionally, ultimate authority over the wind farm remained unclear, with various federal agencies claiming responsibility over different portions of the permitting, licensing, review, and operation of the wind farm.

“Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out, who do we talk to? Who is going to keep us safe? Who is the responsible boss here? Who is going to make the hard decision?” Select Board member Matt Fee asked.

The decision to suspend the Vineyard Wind project in the aftermath of the turbine blade incident on July 13 was made by BSEE, which is considering implementing more comprehensive safety planning requirements for future wind farms. Under significant pressure from the Select Board, BSEE Renewable Energy Operations Director Cheri Hunter confirmed that there is “no acceptable level of risk” from wind farms, but some risks are “inherent” to all energy production. Hunter declined to comment on whether BSEE is considering permanently closing Vineyard Wind.

“We want to minimize every risk that we can,” Hunter said.

“One way to avoid this would have been to not have the wind farm in the first place,” Select Board member Malcolm MacNab replied.

Also during Wednesday’s meeting, GE Vernova Chief Sustainability Officer Roger Martella confirmed that the scale of the Halide-X turbine blades, while based on a well-tested design, is relatively new. Each blade is 351 feet - longer than a football field - and weighs 55 tons. Martella also assured the community that the coming storm will not impact the undamaged Vineyard Wind turbines (a total of 24 turbines have been installed to date) but he admitted that the winds may dislodge some portion of what remains of the damaged blade.

For some in attendance, the most notable moment of the night was Cyr’s speech—and his abrupt departure before he could answer any follow-up questions. It was the state Senator’s first public appearance on the island since the blade collapse, though his office has been in contact with local officials and has issued press releases on the incident.

“I am deeply disturbed by this lack of communication on the part of GE and Vineyard Wind and demand that they do better if they want support from the town and the state,” Cyr said. “GE and Vineyard Wind must be accountable to the town of Nantucket and all other communities impacted by this failure, the removal of debris must be thorough and absolute, the town of Nantucket must be made whole and then some for all the expenses incurred by the debris and its cleanup.”

Cyr revealed that in the wake of the turbine blade failure, GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind officials asked him for Nantucket Town Manager Libby Gibson’s cellphone number because they did not know how to contact her.

“That’s not acceptable. A good neighbor should have the town manager’s cell phone. Going forward, we need an organized response plan that goes beyond just removal of debris,” Cyr said. “So many of us have been proponents of renewable energy, including the potential of offshore wind, because of the existential threat the climate crisis and rising seas poses to our way of life on Nantucket, on Martha’s Vineyard, and Cape Cod. New England’s waters are among the fastest warming and most rapidly rising in the world. But let me be clear: our pursuit of these solutions must be balanced with an unwavering commitment to the communities that host these projects. Offshore wind companies must be good neighbors.”

However, despite being the first elected state or federal representative to speak on Nantucket about the incident, Cyr’s appearance may not have the intended effect. Several members of the public slammed him for his quick departure, while his primary rival, Republican State Senate candidate Christopher Lauzon, remained until the conclusion of the discussion.