Stunning beach on 'Billionaire's Isle' is forced to close during peak season because of wind turbine debris

Celebrity enclave Nantucket had to shut many of its beaches to tourists this weekend after fiberglass shards from a damaged wind turbine washed up on land.

Days after the pieces of the turbine blade broke off on Saturday evening, the town reopened all beaches on the south shore Wednesday for swimming and other recreational activities, according to a statement. 

The damaged turbine was a part of the wind farm 20 miles offshore run by the Vineyard Wind project, a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.

The company announced Wednesday it has removed 17 cubic meters of debris, enough to fill six truck loads, with the help of officials including the Nantucket Police Department.

It's unclear how the wind turbine was damaged, but operations at the wind farm have been suspended while investigators search for an explanation.

Fiberglass, the man-made plastic and glass composite material that washed up on Nantucket, can cause health problems if ingested.

If a person is exposed to fiberglass dust, they can experience skin, eye and upper respiratory tract irritation, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

There is no evidence that large fibers of the substance causes cancer. 

But fiberglass is also chock full of carcinogenic microplastics, which have been found in men's testicles per a new study. 

The wind farm, south of Martha's Vineyard, has 24 turbines so far and began producing power for the New England power grid in the beginning of January.

Eventually, there will be 62 turbines capable of powering about 400,000 homes.

Vineyard Wind told The Boston Globe the turbine was still getting tested and that the blade was damaged 65 feet from its root.

The blades are more than 350 feet long, with each turbine having three blades.

'State energy and environmental officials are regularly communicating with Vineyard Wind on the incident and response, as well as local officials. There is a rigorous, federally approved safety process in place,' the Massachusetts executive office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said in a statement provided to the Globe.

According to Nantucket officials, the majority of debris has been cleared away, though on-duty lifeguards will continue to keep their eyes open for any remaining shards.

Given the danger that fiberglass can pose to humans, all beachgoers were told to wear 'appropriate footwear.'

Vineyard Wind is also increasing its beach patrols to 35 employees and contractors Wednesday to make sure every piece of debris is disposed of.

Government officials and Vineyard Wind also urged the public not to handle the shards, which are green in color and appear to be several inches thick.

'Anyone handling debris should wear gloves, and Vineyard Wind is working to bag, track, and transport all debris off the island and to proper storage as soon as possible,' the company said. 

'Cleanup efforts will continue Wednesday and throughout the week as necessary until all debris is removed.'

Power production at the wind farm was 'immediately' ceased after the damage to the turbine blade was discovered.

To that end, the Federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement issued a work suspension order on Monday afternoon.

'Vineyard Wind is in full compliance with the order, and is working in collaboration with BSEE to support its assessment and advance critical safety response and debris recovery efforts,' Vineyard Wind spokesman Craig Gilvarg wrote in an emailed statement.

The year-round population of Nantucket is 14,000, but this balloons to 80,000 during the summer as the rich and famous descend on the island.

President Joe Biden spends Thanksgiving with his family in Nantucket every year. In 2023, his family stayed in the $34 million home of his billionaire friend David Rubenstein.

Meanwhile Kourtney Kardashian splashed out $6,628 per night for her family and friends to vacation in a $50 million property on the island in 2020, according to People. She also rented a massive property to vacation in with her kids for the entirety of July 2017.