After a 2023 fire at a battery storage facility in East Hampton, New York, nearby residents say they still want more testing and clearer information about whether toxic chemicals reached local groundwater.
Pressure on the plant is rising as well, with local officials warning that the site could lose approvals unless its operators carry out major safety improvements intended to prevent another contamination incident.
What happened?
According to Newsday, as town officials in East Hampton imposed new safety requirements on the Cove Hollow Road battery storage site, residents said they remain worried that runoff from a 2023 fire may have exposed nearby neighbors to PFAS chemicals.
PFAS chemicals are often called "forever chemicals" because they can remain in the environment and the body for long periods and have been tied to health risks.
Newsday reported that in a letter, East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez gave NextEra Energy and National Grid, the companies that own and operate the plant, 30 days to provide a revised emergency action and safety plan.
The letter also required measures within 60 days to contain any fire-related runoff and said the town could suspend or revoke approvals if the companies do not comply.
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The outlet reported that at a town board meeting, residents said their worries about possible exposure were growing. Resident Sheryl Gold said, "We need more transparency, a plan for protecting our sole source of water and outreach to all those whose health may be seriously affected by this latest PFAS contamination."
In a federal lawsuit cited by Newsday, the Suffolk County Water Authority says more than 2.2 million gallons of water were discharged over about 30 hours after the fire, first pooling at the site and then moving beyond it into groundwater.
Why does it matter?
Concern around the facility has intensified because PFAS have been associated with cancer and other health problems. Newsday reported that PFPrA was found in wells south of the site at concentrations reaching 1,170 parts per billion, compared with the state's screening level of 3 parts per billion.
Coleen Kalbacher, who lives near the facility, said she wants blood testing for chemicals such as PFAS to "secure long-term health protections." She added, as reported by Newsday, "We cannot wait years for this litigation to resolve."
Alarm over the facility reaches beyond nearby residents. According to the outlet, Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine has urged the owners to stop operating the plant, and East Hampton Village officials warned in a letter, later read aloud by fire and emergency medical services administrator Gerard Turza Jr., that "Each day that the facility remains open exposes residents on an ongoing basis to an unreasonable risk of harm."
What's being done?
Multiple government agencies are investigating.
Suffolk County's Department of Health Services is expanding its groundwater testing around the battery plant, while the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is testing water and soil and drilling new wells as part of its investigation, according to Newsday. State regulators have said they have not yet identified a definitive source of the contamination.
Town officials are also pressing for structural changes at the facility itself. Burke-Gonzalez's letter said the revised safety plan must address worst-case fire scenarios and guarantee "zero discharge" of contaminated water into soil or groundwater.
Burke-Gonzalez said public water currently meets all drinking water standards, but residents with private wells in the area of concern should consider having their water tested.
NextEra Energy and National Grid said in a statement reported by Newsday: "We recently received the Town of East Hampton's letter and are reviewing its requests carefully. We remain committed to transparency, scientific rigor, and community safety, and we will continue to work with local authorities."
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