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Residents and health officials press Southampton Planning Board on battery‑storage zoning
Summary
At its April 15 meeting, the Southampton Planning Board took public comment and technical guidance on a proposed zoning amendment to address battery energy storage systems (BEST/BESS). Board of Health Chair Caitlin Rooks and multiple residents raised groundwater, noise and emergency‑response concerns; the board will draft language and hold a May 20 hearing.
Southampton — The Planning Board on April 15 gathered residents and technical advisers to discuss a proposed zoning amendment that would add rules for battery energy storage systems, a topic neighbors say requires clearer local protections.
Caitlin Rooks, chair of the Board of Health, told the board she is worried that large installations “being installed over Zone 2 water protection areas” could threaten local groundwater and called for permit thresholds, operation-and-maintenance plans and emergency‑response provisions. Rooks said she had spoken with the company BlueWave and that the company had not yet submitted operations or emergency plans for a nearby proposal, which she said made neighbors uneasy.
Why it matters: battery‑storage facilities can include large inverter pads, transformers and cabinetized battery…
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