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Nantucket residents press board over Vineyard Wind blade failures, limited federal outreach
Summary
Multiple residents used public comment to press the Select Board and federal agencies about the Vineyard Wind blade failure, raising concerns about cancelled webinars, insufficient public notice, debris washing ashore, and whether federal agencies are requiring additional safeguards.
Several Nantucket residents used the public-comment period at the Jan. 22 Select Board meeting to press the town and federal agencies for more transparency and action after a Vineyard Wind turbine blade failure and related operational developments.
Val Oliver said she learned via a Zoom message that a federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) meeting had been canceled and that she believed the December filing of a revised construction and operations plan had not allowed adequate public input. Mary Schott and another commenter described blade debris washing ashore and alleged that tens of installed blades share a bond defect discovered after a collapse; the commenters urged the board to seek federal intervention or a ‘‘special cure’’ to halt construction and require more robust mitigation measures such as booms or accelerated blade removal.
Veronica (last name not specified) and other speakers asked whether the town has assessed risks to town-owned land and property values and whether the town will publish its communications with BSEE. Several residents said they felt federal notice was insufficient — for example, announcing public comment periods near holidays — and urged the board to press federal regulators and project owners for clearer mitigation and financial assurance commitments.
The Select Board did not take formal action at the meeting; members acknowledged the concerns and asked staff and the chair to continue communications with state and federal agencies. The board did not report a new town directive or added guardrails at the meeting.
