Goshen planners press for more safety, evacuation and environmental review for Harvey Road battery storage proposal

GOSHEN — Members of the town’s planning and environmental review groups spent more than an hour on concerns about a proposed battery energy storage system on Harvey Road, pressing the applicant and the planning board to slow the approval process and supply independent technical reviews.

Meeting participants said they are particularly worried about fire behavior for lithium-ion arrays, long-duration reignition of battery fires, hazardous runoff to local groundwater and wetlands, and the potential need to evacuate nearby facilities including the Orange County jail and mental-health center. The applicant’s presentation included emergency procedures and training commitments, but planning board members and residents said the materials and responses so far were insufficient.

The conversation centered on three kinds of risk: fire dynamics and firefighting response; environmental contamination in the event of firefighting runoff or fire-borne debris; and community safety planning, including evacuation and alerting responsibility. Board members and residents repeatedly asked for specific, third‑party information on: medical effects of prolonged exposure to BESS combustion products; likely plume behavior and evacuation zones under variable wind conditions; whether fire…