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Anacortes resident urges Skagit County to halt lithium battery storage projects over firefighter safety concerns
Summary
At the April 7 meeting, Anacortes resident Elka McCartney told Skagit County commissioners she opposes county lithium battery energy storage systems (BESS), arguing local fire departments are not equipped to handle large-scale thermal-runaway fires and urging the county to stop approvals.
Anacortes resident Elka McCartney urged the Skagit County Board of Commissioners on April 7 to stop the development of lithium battery energy storage systems in the county, saying firefighters are not prepared to respond safely to large-scale battery fires.
McCartney told commissioners that firefighters who responded to large lithium-ion battery incidents suffered lasting injuries and that some large container battery fires can burn for weeks. “There is no way that firefighters are prepared to safely deal with a thermal runaway fire,” she said, and closed her remarks with, “Please stop this now.” Her comments cited incidents she said occurred in April and September 2025; those dates and the medical claims were presented by McCartney and were not verified during the meeting.
Why it matters: McCartney framed the issue as a public-safety concern, saying that large-scale battery fires can produce toxic plumes and prolonged hazards that local first responders cannot currently manage. She urged commissioners to halt BESS approvals while emergency-response and containment plans are developed.
Commissioners did not take action during the meeting. Chair (speaker 1) moved on to additional public comments and routine business without responding to McCartney’s request for a moratorium or for staff direction on emergency-preparedness steps.
What was said and not verified: McCartney described a Sacramento-area incident and cited long-term health effects for firefighters, including respiratory and other medical issues. Those claims were attributed to her during her public comment; the county did not provide supporting documents or staff statements in the session to confirm the incidents, injury details, or the exact dates she referenced.
Next steps: The meeting record does not show any formal follow-up, study directive, or vote tied to McCartney’s request. Commissioners did not place the matter on the agenda for further action during the April 7 session.
(Reporting note: quotations and incident dates are drawn from McCartney’s public comment and were not independently verified at the meeting.)
