Discarded wind-turbine blades at a field in Sweetwater.
Photographer: Brenda Bazán/BloombergThousands of Dumped Wind-Turbine Blades Prompt Crackdown in Texas
Residents of Sweetwater, Texas, are frustrated that the old blades have sat in the town for years. Authorities have stepped up efforts to hold someone responsible.
For nearly a decade, residents of Sweetwater have been confronted by a jarring sight as they leave and enter this small West Texas town: thousands of used wind-turbine blades.
The blades take up nearly 1 million square feet in a field off Interstate 20. Hundreds more occupy a second site nearby. Originally up to 200 feet long — nearly the wingspan of a Boeing 747 — the blades have been cut into thirds, exposing gaping openings. Locals complain they’re a haven for rattlesnakes, collect water that attracts mosquitoes and pose a threat to children living nearby.