As of late Wednesday night part of a blade from an offshore Vineyard Wind turbine was dangling and threatening to snap.
This follows a “blade failure” on Saturday which caused debris to wash ashore on several Nantucket beaches.
But Vineyard Wind says there’s still more debris coming in from the project 14 miles from the island and a blade the length of a football field is hanging precipitously.
CEO Klaus Moeller briefed Nantucket leaders last night and residents who attended were not happy.
“We know that none of this debris is toxic,” Moeller said.
The audience responded with audible skepticism.
In a dramatic moment, Moeller later interrupted his own remarks to deliver developing news.
“We were informed just now that there’s been a development to the integrity of the blade,” he said. “I’m happy to stay a little bit longer but then have to go work with my team. I don’t know [what’s happened] because I’ve been here.”
Jennifer Cullen, a senior manager at Vineyard Wind, later gave a live update on the wind turbine blade that was damaged Saturday night.
Reading a statement from her phone, she told the room: “While the blade remains attached, it could detach soon. We’ve mobilized our response team and have also witnessed new debris enter the water.”
The federal government shut down the offshore wind farm earlier this week to investigate.
The turbine-maker — GE — is also looking into what caused the blade to fail.
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