Vineyard Wind Removes Final Pieces Of Damaged Blade Hanging From Turbine

Vineyard Wind announced Thursday that it had removed the remaining pieces of the damaged blade that had been hanging from one of its turbines since the failure event on July 13.

The hanging pieces of the blade - which once measured 351 feet and weighed 55 tons before it folded and shattered last month - were removed through a "controlled cutting operation" which Vineyard Wind had previewed in its action plan released on August 11.

"While most of the debris was collected during the operation, some entered the water column before it could be recovered," the town of Nantucket announced on Thursday following an update from Vineyard Wind officials. "Vineyard Wind has assured the town that they will maintain teams at sea, by air, and onshore on Nantucket and surrounding areas to monitor and address any additional debris that may be found."

The next phase of Vineyard Wind's response to the blade failure includes preparations to remove the "blade root" - which is still sticking straight up from the rotor - as well as addressing debris on the seafloor.

While its investigation into the incident is not yet complete, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) on Tuesday updated its suspension order for Vineyard Wind, allowing it to resume the installation of turbine towers and nacelles. The company is still prohibited from installing additional blades - all of which are in the process of being reinspected - or power production from the 24 turbines that have been completed since last October.

On Thursday, Vineyard Wind's clean-up teams were spotted on the south shore between Nobadeer and Surfside beaches continuing the debris recovery. Several of the workers hired by Vineyard Wind were reluctant to identify their affiliation with the company when asked, but eventually confirmed they were with the Vineyard Wind team. One of the workers who was riding an ATV behind the crew on foot stated that there was "a ton" of people hired by Vineyard Wind on the island right now for the clean-up effort. Debris recovery had been hit or miss, depending on the day, he said.

Beyond the south shore, island residents have reported blade debris on the north shore this week, as well as in the harbor in the Children's Beach mooring field.