It was bound to happen, as predicted by common sense and science. On Saturday, July 13, 2024, a fiberglass turbine blade of Vineyard Wind ripped off, fell into the ocean, and promptly drifted to Nantucket beaches. Another significant chunk fell Thursday. Local authorities have closed the beaches to prevent injury, and federal agencies have halted the wind farm operations indefinitely.

It is difficult to imagine that the Vineyard Wind teams collecting the fiberglass fragments will get it all. Some pieces will continue to float, drift, slam into rocks, and release microscopic fragments to be ingested by wildlife. These are blades the length of a football field, yet toxic lies continue to circulate, that this was an “offshore incident,” with “non-toxic fiberglass fragments,” that are “not hazardous to people or the environment.”  

This is an environmental disaster. The audacity to call it “not hazardous to people or the environment.” Just as plastic is found in human carotid artery plaques, fiberglass is found in shellfish, and shellfish is consumed by humans, fish and birds. Non-toxic fragments? Ask fiberglass boat builders why OSHA demands they wear total body suits with respirators. Even casual contact with a rough edge of fiberglass will cause skin irritation, at the very least.

 This is a wakeup call to we the citizens. We must demand truth and transparency from the offshore industry and our elected officials. The wind was relatively mild on Saturday, July 13.  What will happen when the wind hits 60 miles per hour and waves crest over 30 feet?  November will arrive with fierce winds and a crucial election.

Ara Sadaniantz
Little Compton