Texas sues wind turbine company for allegedly abandoning 3,000 blades in west Texas
SWEETWATER, TEXAS - OCTOBER 04: In an aerial view, discarded wind turbine blades are seen in a field next to the Sweetwater Cemetery on, October 04, 2023 in Sweetwater, Texas. General Electric filed a lawsuit against Global Fiberglass, claiming that
SWEETWATER, Texas - Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Global Fiberglass Solutions, Inc. and several affiliated entities, alleging the companies illegally dumped and abandoned thousands of wind turbine blades across two sites in Sweetwater.
The state’s petition, filed on behalf of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), claims the defendants created unpermitted disposal sites that threaten surrounding communities and violate state solid waste statutes.
Abandoned wind turbine blades in Texas
What they're saying:
"Illegal disposal of wind turbines hurts our land and will never be permitted under my watch," Paxton said in a statement. "Just because the radical left calls something a ‘green industry’ does not give any company a free pass to harm the Texas countryside, break our laws, and leave Texans to deal with the negative impacts."
SWEETWATER, TEXAS - OCTOBER 04: In an aerial view, discarded wind turbine blades are seen in a field next to the Sweetwater Cemetery on, October 04, 2023 in Sweetwater, Texas. General Electric filed a lawsuit against Global Fiberglass, claiming that
The backstory:
According to the lawsuit, Global was hired by various companies to break down and recycle the massive turbine components. Instead, investigators documented a stockpile of more than 3,000 blades and nacelles, the housings that enclose turbine engines, abandoned at the two facilities.
The state alleges that as of March 2025, the sites contained approximately 487,000 cubic yards of solid waste.
The lawsuit names Global Fiberglass Solutions of Texas, LLC, Global Fiberglass Solutions, Inc., GFSI-MHE Manufacturing of Texas, LLC, Vo Dynasty, LLC, and individual Donald Lilly as defendants.
The state's claims include:
- Failure to Recycle: Under Texas law, facilities must recycle at least 75% of accumulated material annually to avoid being classified as a waste disposal site. The state alleges Global never met this threshold since operations began in 2017.
- Violation of Prior Orders: Global signed an "Agreed Order" in 2022 promising to cease accepting waste and to obtain proper permits. Investigators claim the company ignored the order, accepted new shipments, and eventually abandoned the sites.
- Unauthorized Storage: None of the defendants ever received authorization from the TCEQ to process or store industrial solid waste at these locations.
SWEETWATER, TEXAS - OCTOBER 04: In an aerial view, discarded wind turbine blades are seen in a field next to the Sweetwater Cemetery on, October 04, 2023 in Sweetwater, Texas. General Electric filed a lawsuit against Global Fiberglass, claiming that
What's next:
The Attorney General is seeking civil penalties ranging from $50 to $25,000 per day for each violation. Given the duration of the alleged violations, some dating back to 2017, the state noted it may seek monetary relief exceeding $1 million.
The lawsuit also requests a permanent injunction that would force the companies to remove all unauthorized waste and dispose of it at a licensed facility within 180 days.
The case is currently pending in the 201st Judicial District Court of Travis County.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Texas Attorney General press office and the lawsuit filed in Travis County.