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- Miriam Wasser
The pieces of a broken Vineyard Wind turbine blade that are washing up on Nantucket beaches are not toxic to the surrounding area, according to an initial environmental assessment from Boston-based GE Vernova, the company that made the blade and was in charge of overseeing its installation.
A 107-meter-long blade from the offshore wind farm near Martha's Vineyard was damaged last week, dropping pieces of debris into the ocean.
According to the analysis, which was conducted by the consultancy firm Arcadis, the blade was primarily fiberglass, semi-rigid foam, and polyester resins, which are “inert, non-soluble, stable, and nontoxic” materials, akin to those found in “textiles, boat construction and the aviation industry.”
See below for full list of materials in the blade:
Once shards are collected, the consultants write, they are considered “non-hazardous” and can be put in a landfill without any sort of special treatment.
Since the incident, many on Nantucket have been outraged about the debris washing up on the beaches during the height of tourism season. In addition to fears about how the fiberglass shards and foam could adversely affect marine life, many have raised concerns that any per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — better known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” — in the blade could cause deep and lasting environmental contamination.
The analysis doesn’t specifically comment on the potential for any long-term danger, but it does provide some details about which PFAS chemicals are present and what they’re used for.
As it turns out, the blades themselves contain no PFAS materials. There are, however, are small “aerodynamic add-ons” attached to the exterior side of the blade that contain Teflon, a common PFAS material. The add-ons are about 15 cm by 20 cm in size, and each blade has 240 of them. (At least 67 of them are on the portion of the blade that is still attached to the turbine.) According to the report, “The PFAS content in the aerodynamic add-ons account for 0.00005% of the total weight of the blade.”
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As for human health and public safety, the report is short on specifics, but notes that primary risk the debris poses is injury to those who may step on or pick up a piece of fiberglass debris on the beach. (Vineyard Wind has asked the public not to touch any blade debris and to instead report itonline or call 833-609-5768.)
The report made no mention of potential harms to the marineecosystem.
Craig Gilvarg, a spokesperson for Vineyard Wind, confirmed the company had a copy of the new assessment and issued a statement in response: "As GE Vernova continues the investigation into the root cause of the damage to its blade, Vineyard Wind 1 remains focused on coordinating with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, assisting in the recovery of debris, and prioritizing the safety of personnel, local communities, and the environment."
Massachusetts officials are also watching the situation closely. Maria Hardiman, a spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, said that "state experts are reviewing GE’s environmental analysis independently as a proactive measure."
"The offshore wind industry is critical to our ability to combat climate change and produce clean, affordable energy, and the Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to delivering these benefits to our residents," she added.
So what comes next? In terms of assessing any environmental damage, the consultants behind the report suggest continuing to clean up debris from in the ocean and on the beach, and “performing a detailed inventory” of everything collected to help figure out what may be left in the water.
The report also suggests that there are efforts underway to figure out how to safely detach the remaining 300-foot portion of the broken blade that’s still dangling from the turbine.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation, but GE Vernova's CEO said Wednesday the company believes a manufacturing error is to blame.
Vineyard Wind, the country’s first large-scale offshore wind project, is still under construction but began producing power for the New England grid earlier this year. It’s 10 operational turbines, and all ongoing construction activities, have been shut down since the incident. Vineyard Wind, GE and the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement are all investigating what happened.
When the project is complete, it will have 62 turbines capable of generation 800 megawatts, about enough power for 400,000 homes in Massachusetts.
This article was originally published on July 24, 2024.
