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Enumclaw Council adopts 12-month moratorium on battery energy storage systems after public hearing
Summary
The council voted to adopt Ordinance 2809, imposing a 12-month moratorium on permitting battery energy storage systems (BESS) while staff study fire, environmental, noise and emergency-response impacts. The decision followed a public hearing with several residents raising safety, fallout and end-of-life concerns.
The Enumclaw City Council on April 14 adopted Ordinance 2809, imposing a 12-month moratorium on the acceptance, processing and approval of applications for battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities within city limits.
City Attorney Brett Benson told the council the moratorium is being adopted under state law to “preserve the status quo while adopting and studying appropriate regulations,” citing the need to analyze fire codes, environmental impacts, emergency response protocols and zoning restrictions. The ordinance allows the council to request a six-month update but establishes a 12-month moratorium period.
The moratorium followed a public hearing in which residents detailed safety concerns and pointed to a recent, high-profile BESS fire at Moss Landing, California. James Delay, who said he lives in Covington and frequently visits family near Enumclaw, told the council the Moss Landing incident produced prolonged fires and environmental fallout. “I’m very proud of you guys for passing a moratorium,” Delay said, and urged the city to study alternatives to lithium-ion BESS such as gravity-based or thermal storage.
Other speakers said BESS sites could present evacuation and financial risks for a small community. Pat Traub asked who would be responsible for community impacts and cleanup costs after a catastrophic event and suggested developers should post a bond to cover end-of-life or disaster costs. Tom Jensen, who said he lives just outside Enumclaw, noted the local and regional implications of the Moss Landing incident and supported the moratorium.
Council members and staff said the pause will give Enumclaw time to review other jurisdictions’ work, coordinate with the Enumclaw Fire Department and draft permitting standards. Community Development Director Chris Passanetti said staff may rely on analyses from nearby cities such as Sumner and Kent, and that the review will consider where, if anywhere, such facilities could be sited in Enumclaw. Benson confirmed noise impacts would be part of the study after a council member asked specifically to add noise pollution to the list.
The council voted by voice to suspend rules and adopt Ordinance 2809 on first reading; the clerk recorded a voice vote and the ordinance passed. No roll-call tally was provided in the meeting record.
City staff said the moratorium is intended to preserve flexibility while the city completes a comprehensive review and drafts mitigation standards for fire safety, air-quality risks from thermal runaway events, emergency response protocols and zoning placement. The city will report back within the period allowed by the ordinance.
