Residents and retired firefighter press Manteno leaders on lithium‑ion battery hazards and hazmat response

Several residents used the public comment period to urge stricter safety measures for industrial battery storage and to question whether the village’s agreements with Goshen adequately address hazmat risk.

Neil Gates pointed to language in Goshen’s memorandum that he said assigns broad liability to Goshen LLC and asked whether the company could rely on its limited liability structure to avoid costs. He asked the board to clarify who would bear remediation costs and whether a dedicated hazmat team is included in the MOU.

Retired firefighter Karen Brzecki, who said she holds hazmat qualifications, told trustees that the correct applicable standard for large battery storage facilities is NFPA 855 and warned that typical residential standards (NFPA 1710/1720) do not address lithium‑ion hazards. "NFPA 855 is what you need to reference," she said, and she cited peer‑reviewed studies and EPA guidance about off‑gassing and runoff from firefighting operations in closed‑loop and non‑closed‑loop systems. Brzecki warned that Manteno’s shallow water table and a closed‑loop system overwhelmed by heavy runoff could allow contamination to reach the South Branch of Rock Creek.

Trustees acknowledged the safety concerns and said the MOU includes training and staffing standards stricter than state minimums, but they also noted that environmental remediation and permitting are largely governed by state agencies. The board did not resolve legal liability questions at the meeting and said legal and technical follow‑up would be necessary.