Debris from the broken Vineyard Wind turbine may have washed up on Chappaquiddick after littering Nantucket beaches earlier this week.
The Trustees of Reservations reported Friday that potential debris had come ashore on Wasque and the nonprofit was working with the offshore wind energy company to retrieve any pieces of the broken fiberglass.
Vineyard beach managers hadn’t previously seen any of the debris from the 800-foot tall turbine that broke on Saturday. The unconfirmed debris was spotted at Wasque Point by GE Vernova during an aerial surveillance, the Trustees said in a statement.
“We ask beachgoers to use great care and alert our rangers to any possible debris they may spot on the beach or in the water,” said Darci Schofield, the Trustees Island director. “We continue to patrol the beaches searching for debris. The safety of our visitors and of the shorebirds we protect are our utmost priorities.”
Vineyard Wind previously said it didn’t believe that turbine bits would show up on the Vineyard due to the currents and wind.
Andrew Kelly, an Edgartown parks commissioner, said no fiberglass had been spotted yet at South Beach, which is directly north of the Vineyard Wind farm.
“We haven’t seen anything,” he said Friday afternoon. “Our crews are continuing to check.”
Nantucketers picked up truckloads of broken green and white bits throughout this week, and crews were trying to clean up remote areas on Tuckernuck, a small island off Nantucket’s coast.
On Saturday, Vineyard Wind reported that debris had been found the day prior southeast of Monomoy, the island off Chatham on Cape Cod.
The turbine blade, which broke Saturday, fell into the water on Thursday. The company continues to monitor the blade and a plan is being developed for its removal.
The large piece of fiberglass that had fallen has sunk to the ocean floor, according to a statement from the town of Nantucket.
Vineyard Wind is working on a water testing plan and is setting a financial claims process. Some Nantucketers, including fishermen and the head of a surfing school, said their businesses were taking a hit due to the floating fiberglass.
“The impacts of this event will continue to unfold in the coming days and weeks,” the town said in a statement. “Town Administration and the Select Board are committed to providing daily morning briefings to the Nantucket public regarding this matter. Vineyard Wind is fully responsible for the repercussions on Nantucket, and Town Administration and the Select Board will ensure they are held accountable.”
Editor's note: the article has been updated with information about debris showing up off Cape Cod.
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