Multiple State and Federal Organizations Investigating Dangerous Shards of Shattered Blades after Beach Closure

First Debris Washes Ashore on Rhode Island

Green Oceans, the nonpartisan, nonprofit community group fighting to preserve Rhode Island’s bays, beaches, and ocean from environmental harm, called today for a federal and state moratorium on all offshore wind (OSW) development in the wake of the unfolding environmental debacle from a shattered wind turbine blade off Nantucket.

In addition to its call for an OSW moratorium, Green Oceans, is suing to block the OSW projects Revolution Wind and South Fork Wind OSW projects.

More fiberglass shards and pieces of foam fell into the ocean last week and more may follow after expected high winds. Vineyard Wind debris is now washing ashore on Rhode Island beaches.

When the blade initially snapped, the Nantucket harbormaster was forced to close the island’s beaches. The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has issued a second suspension order to Vineyard Wind to cease power production and construction activities until it can be determined whether the blade failure was an isolated incident or something affecting all of the blades.

In litigation, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has conceded that constructing massive offshore wind arrays won’t have a material impact on climate change.

“A disaster that the government never even considered has occurred before the project’s completion,” said Green Oceans President, Lisa Quattrocki. “Governments and the developer’s environmental assessments did not even mention, let alone address the possibility that a blade could fail and litter the ocean with potentially dangerous debris. We should be asking, ‘What else have they not considered?’

“Blade failures are not rare. WindPower Monthly reports that wind turbine rotor blades are failing at a rate of around 3,800 a year, globally, including failures at Dogger Bank only a few months ago.”

If they build all nine projects and given the rate of blade failures, 15 blades could fall into the ocean here every year.. That would be over 1000 tons of epoxy, fiberglass, and foam contaminating our beaches and ocean every year. A 747 weighs 200 tons. Do we want the debris equivalent of 5 jumbo jets, polluting our waters every year?

“The Vineyard Wind disaster proves that the permitting process is inadequate. Until we fully understand the dangers of this type of contamination, we should not proceed with further development,” Dr. Quattrocki Knight said.

“And yet, Revolution Wind is scheduled to install the first towers and blades on top of the existing monopiles just 15 miles off the coast of Rhode Island this week.

The Aquinnah Tribe has called for a moratorium on offshore wind development, as has the Nantucket grassroots group ACK4Whales.

OSW kills marine wildlife, destroys natural environments, hurts local industries like tourism, sailing, and fishing, and will lead to higher electricity prices because it is among the most expensive sources of power available.

“It makes no sense for the government to allow foreign energy giants like Orsted, who is responsible for Sunrise, Revolution, and South Fork Wind, to despoil our environment, threaten endangered species, and raise electricity prices for something that will only hinder our efforts to protect our planet,” Quattrocki said.

ABOUT GREEN OCEANS

Green Oceans is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, community organization dedicated to combating climate change without risking the health of the ocean or the life it sustains.

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