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Westford health officials press planning board to include health safeguards in battery-storage zoning
Summary
The Board of Health urged tight coordination with planning and fire officials as the town prepares zoning changes to permit battery energy storage systems, citing noise, toxic fire emissions and groundwater risks. The board asked to submit comments to the planning board before its May 18 meeting.
The Westford Board of Health said on May 11 it wants early input into draft zoning and bylaw amendments for battery energy storage systems and small-scale solar, citing potential public-health and environmental risks.
Ray, the town health director, described the department’s concerns: noise from cooling fans and inverters, toxic gases released during battery fires (he singled out hydrogen fluoride), large water needs for firefighting, and possible contamination risks for groundwater in areas already affected by PFAS cleanup. “For us, from a public-health perspective, it’s more of concerns with both nuisance including noise, public health concerns,” he said, adding that the department supports clean energy but wants protections written into a permitting process.
Ray said Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NIMCOG) has been contracted through Westford Sustainability Services to prepare model zoning amendments and that the planning board will take up the matter on May 18. He said an MAHB (Massachusetts Association of Health Boards) draft model regulation was circulated to local staff and that the town manager and land-use director are receptive to health-department input.
Board members stressed that early involvement is important to avoid after-the-fact fights over site assignments. “We don’t want to be like the other towns we saw where sites have been assigned… and then the health department is having to come in and say this is not okay,” Joanne said. The board asked Ray to draft a memo or letter with health concerns and recommended zones to protect wells, day cares, schools and senior housing; Stephanie and one other board member volunteered to draft it jointly to meet the planning-board packet deadline.
Public commenters representing local sustainability and climate groups offered to collaborate. Mike Berlinski, chair of the Clean Energy and Sustainability Committee, said his committee looks forward to a coordinated, multi-stakeholder effort. “We’re here and look forward to working together,” he said.
The board did not adopt regulations at the May meeting; instead it requested that staff submit a letter with public-health concerns and to pursue a joint meeting with planning and other departments before the town’s November deadline for zoning actions related to battery storage.
