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Covina residents press council for independent review of proposed battery storage site near homes
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Summary
Multiple residents, business owners and community groups urged the Covina City Council to require a full environmental impact report and halt plans for a proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) at or near 522 East Edna Place, citing past BESS fires, safety and notice concerns; the council and staff said the project is under review and has not yet reached the Planning Commission.
Residents, business owners and organized groups urged the Covina City Council on April 7 to require an independent environmental review and more public outreach before any decision on a proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) near downtown.
Multiple speakers named RWE Clean Energy as the project proponent and said the facility was proposed for a site cited in public comments as 522 East Edna Place. Jen Johnson, a downtown business owner, said she supports clean energy but called the site choice "too great a risk," citing news reports of large-scale battery fires and the possibility of toxic smoke and long-lasting smoldering incidents at other facilities. "The risk is too great," Johnson said, noting the Monterey County Moss Landing incident and a San Diego-area site where fire response and cleanup continued for months.
Several residents and business owners raised concerns about proximity to people and community assets. A commenter said Tri-Community adult education sits about 0.23 miles from the proposed site, which they argued puts that campus inside the 0.25-mile threshold used in the project's initial study. Samantha Anderson, owner of a downtown kennel, warned that noise or vibration and evacuation scenarios would harm animals and local businesses and asked for a formal environmental impact report.
Community groups framed the objections as a public-safety and process concern. Brian Calderon, chair of SG Voices, urged the council to reject the anticipated proposal or at minimum require a full EIR, and cited union and firefighter letters questioning siting BESS near housing and fire stations. Several commenters said they learned of developer-hosted meetings through social media and complained notification was insufficient.
City leaders responded that the proposal had not been scheduled for Planning Commission or council action and that public outreach by the developer was ongoing. Mayor Hector Delgado said the city had no data-center or battery storage applications on the night's agenda and described the project as still under review. The City Manager said staff would reach out to ensure the community receives relevant notices and information if and when a formal public workshop is scheduled.
No formal vote or change to project approvals occurred at the meeting. Residents requested that the city require third-party review and a full environmental impact report before the council considers any approvals. The Planning Commission, not the City Council, is the next formal review body if the project advances.
The council took no final action on the BESS proposal; the item remains under review and may return to the Planning Commission for public hearings if submitted.
