Vineyard Wind’s operations are ‘shut down until further notice’

Nantucket beaches were shut down to swimming on Tuesday after a Vineyard Wind offshore wind turbine broke and beachgoers began finding debris from the blade damage incident.

The offshore wind development company on Tuesday said it was sending debris recovery teams to Nantucket’s southern-facing beaches, adding that the cause of the breakage remained unknown. Vineyard Wind’s operations have also been temporarily shut down following the incident.

“Vineyard Wind is fully committed to a swift and safe recovery of all debris, with an unwavering focus on community safety and environmental protection,” the company said in a statement.

“As part of its immediate action plan, Vineyard Wind communicated with officials on Nantucket to inform them of the presence of debris and recovery efforts on the southern-facing beaches of the island,” Vineyard Wind added.

The water was closed to swimming on all of Nantucket’s south shore beaches due to the large floating debris and sharp fiberglass shards...

... “You can walk on the beaches, however we strongly recommend you wear footwear due to sharp, fiberglass shards and debris on the beaches,” the harbormaster added.

The federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement over the weekend was notified of a turbine blade failure incident at Vineyard Wind 1, about 21 miles south of Nantucket.

“There were no injuries reported, but operations are shut down until further notice,” the federal agency added...