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Board flags battery law and data‑center issues, urges better public notice and automated referrals
Summary
Members discussed regional data‑center proposals and expressed concern that recent battery‑storage law drafts omitted CAF/mitigation standards (NFPA 855). The board also criticized how public hearings are posted and urged automated referral triggers in the town’s permitting system so advisory boards receive timely notice.
At its May 28 meeting the Grand Island Conservation Advisory Board discussed large regional data‑center proposals and local amendments to battery‑storage ordinances and criticized the town’s public‑notice and referral process.
Members raised concerns about a nearby regional proposal (the Riverview Innovation and Technology Campus referencing the former Tanawanda Coke site), describing potential impacts including large electricity and water demands, noise and local environmental stressors. Board members said such projects require careful review and noted New York‑state and regional review processes are underway for some large proposals.
Separately, the board criticized recent local battery‑storage law language and a planning‑board public hearing that some CAB members said they were unaware of. One member flagged the omission of NFPA 855 (the industry standard for stationary energy storage systems) from the local language and said that leaving the standard out would undermine any associated environmental review. "NFPA 855 ... is the standard for mitigating impacts... We put it in [our comment]. It is completely absent," a CAB member said.
The board also discussed how public notices are posted on the town website and recommended more visible posting, email blasts or social posts and the use of automated referral triggers in the town’s Tyler permitting system so advisory boards receive immediate notice when a project meets CAB’s referral criteria. CAB members urged the town to improve outreach so advisory boards and the public can participate in hearings and reviews in a timely way.
