.Talks Continue on Battery Energy Storage Systems

About 150 people gathered on July 17 in Santa Cruz at the third in a series of meetings about proposed Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Watsonville, Aptos and Santa Cruz. The intent for many was to refine and strengthen a message that these systems are not welcome.

“These folks are pursuing these systems at the expense of human health and we all pay the price,” said Brian Roeder of Never Again Moss Landing (NAML). “Until we organize—and that is what tonight is all about—we need to tell our elected officials to stop this madness; this technology is too dangerous.”

The three proposed battery sites are 90 Minto Road in Watsonville, in Santa Cruz behind Dominican Hospital, and near the Aptos High School campus in Aptos.

Much of the revolt stems from the fallout of the fire that tore through the Vistra Battery Energy Storage System at the Moss Landing Power Plant on Jan. 16. According to NAML, the fire emitted hazardous gases from upwards of 5,000 tons of cobalt, nickel, lithium and manganese. NAML and citizens were stunned to learn that firefighters did not have proper training and equipment to combat the fire.

NAML further added that toxins were emitted in a plume that spread over thousands of acres in the Monterey Bay and were inhaled by tens of thousands of residents, pets and livestock. Their group formed after the blaze and has hosted roundtable events and town hall meetings in hopes of gathering input from the community and experts, from science and environmental agencies to area fire departments and toxic clean-up crews.

Numerous people who live on or near Minto Road were present, including longtime Watsonville resident Bob Lyons.

“I live within a half-mile of the Minto Road site, on Meidel Avenue, and I walk past this area every day,” Lyons said. “It’s a beautiful agricultural area with existing 100-year-old apple trees that will be taken out. I talked with my neighbor, who said, ‘I’m going to move away.’ So the big question is—what’s this going to do with property values; are we all going to lose our insurance in this area?”

The evening also included reference to Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), a local source of clean and renewable electricity that local communities established for customers throughout Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara counties. 3CE is locally controlled and governed by board members who represent each community served by the agency. 3CE has already approved a new GridScale lithium ion battery energy storage system facility in Monterey County.

“Many of us have been attending the 3CE board meetings and the community advisory meetings,” said Becky Steinbruner, who helped emcee the evening. “I urge you all to make your voices heard—that we do not want lithium battery energy storage systems here in Santa Cruz County.” She was assisted by Nina and Greg Audino and JR Rosella in leading the evening’s agenda.

The Minto Road spot is a site called the Green Valley Substation, which is 14 to 16 acres in size and would house as many as 300 battery storage units the size of shipping containers.

Skylar Sacoolas of Environmental Justice, an organizer with Greenaction, shared a slide show about unequal access to clean and healthy environments and increased exposure to harmful pollution and contamination from heavy industry, dumps, incinerators and pesticides in low-income and affordable housing sites.

Retired Los Angeles Battalion Chief Ron Cabrera offered a slide show on fire suppression at BESS facilities. Among the key points:

• Large-scale fire testing is vital;
• Fire spreading from one unit to another or to the entire facility is likely;
• Lithium ion smoke is dangerous;
• Storage batteries can become more dangerous as they age.

The next meeting will be announced soon. For information, contact numbers and emails, visit stoplithiumbessinsantacruz.org.