Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public commenter urges caution on battery energy storage risks and site erosion
Summary
A resident raised safety and environmental concerns about battery energy storage systems (BESS) including fire risks and erosion on sloped sites, referencing high-profile incidents elsewhere and asking the commission to consider setbacks and suppression measures.
During public comment at the end of the April 15 workshop, Tom Thompson of Pullman urged caution in permitting battery energy storage systems and on siting solar on slopes.
"With battery energy storage systems, Google Moss Landing," Thompson said, referencing the high-profile Moss Landing battery fire and its aftermath. He urged the commission to consider the potential for fires and toxic releases in BESS design and setbacks and to be mindful of erosion and grading impacts for hillside solar installations.
Commissioners acknowledged the safety concerns and said fire-suppression, spacing between battery units and emergency response considerations would be folded into code and permit review as the CAO and siting language move through SEPA and subsequent hearings.
AI generated
The text on this page is AI generated. Summaries, highlights, analysis, and video transcripts are all produced from the original source material.
AI can make mistakes, so if you spot one, and we will fix it for everyone.
Note: the source content is unaltered by us. Any content source we link to, be it a video, an audio recording, or a document, is presented exactly as its publisher released it. That publisher is usually a government body, sometimes an individual official or another organisation.
