TOWN OF HANOVER, N.Y. (WKBW) — For more than 15 years, Melissa Shaw has called the Town of Hanover home, she has raised her family there and invested in the community.
However, a proposed battery storage facility in the town has left her and other residents deeply concerned.
"Nobody wants this here by their homes," Shaw said. "We have invested in our towns, in our community. We are raising our children here, we have invested in our properties."
Monday night marked the second public hearing where community members voiced their concerns about the project. Northland Power, the company behind the proposal, has stated that the facility would provide significant revenue for the town, the local school district, and the county.
"Before we can even formally propose that project to the town, a law regulating energy storage in the town must first be adopted," said Chris Stanton, Senior Director of Development for Northland Power.
Despite assurances from the company, Shaw is still concerned.
"We don't want this here, this is not the place," Shaw said. "We do not have the resources or the infrastructure in a small town like this to support this kind of facility or to respond if there were an emergency."
Stanton said Northland Power has taken several measures to ensure safety. Over the past few months, they have met with local fire companies, addressed questions, and expanded training for first responders. The company now plans to include a fire water tank at the facility.
"I think with the fire water tank, the training, and some of the additional safety measures that we will talk about tonight, our hope is we can reassure the community that this project is as safe as the best-in-class storage projects in the rest of the U.S.," Stanton said.
Kevin Eick, a resident for over a decade, is worried about the project's potential impact on property values and environmental risks.
"I am concerned about property value," Eick said. "My house is right there in the impact zone if something were to happen."
Eick added some concerns about the long-term environmental risks, particularly regarding the nearby Lake Erie watershed.
"We are on the Lake Erie watershed, if something happens and forever chemicals get into that watershed, what does that do to the community?" Eick said. "I just think, long-term, the risks of putting this facility in are not as beneficial as the potential reward."
Town Supervisor Louis Pelletter acknowledged that the town board has a lot to analyze before making a final decision.
"There is a lot of money in green energy for this particular moment," Pelletter said. "I do not know what the future will hold with the administration we have now, and I would hate to think that we get involved down the line with a little bit of money and then the support goes away, like for the windmills and solar panels."
Pelletter said the Town of Hanover Board is set to make its final decision on the proposed battery storage facility at its meeting at the end of April.
