BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week

CANTON – In the wake of the major fire at the solar project battery storage facility in Chaumont, the Canton Town Board, sent a letter penned by the town’s solar attorney William Buchan to EDF Renewables voicing concerns over their 240 megawatt Rich Road solar project and its accompanying 20 megawatts battery energy storage facility.

The letter was discussed at Wednesday night's monthly board meeting.

“We write today on behalf of the Canton Town Board and the citizens they represent to express these concerns to your client EDF concerning the RREC’s planned facility,” the letter reads. “Town board members have questions and have been asked many more questions by constituents concerning the potential for battery fires at the RREC and whether, like Chaumont, a fire associated with the EDF facility would cause similar impacts to town resident including smoke likely containing compounds that are hazardous to human health when ingested, fires that once ignited cannot be quenched with normal fire fighting technologies available to Canton, and why is it necessary for EDF to bring a technology with a very high potential to create a public nuisance to Canton.”

This letter was also delivered to local fire departments.

When queried about concerns with the RREC battery storage facility, Canton’s fire chief Robert Crowe replied.

“Battery storage systems are like large versions of electric vehicle batteries. They require large amounts of water to aid in extinguishment. Water is not directed into the battery but used to cool the housing to control the runaway reaction that is occuring inside. We have similar concerns with fires in electric vehicles, which can also burn for days. Currently, our closest sustainable water supply to the Rich Road battery system is a fire hydrant at Remington Avenue. My primary concern would be how they plan to provide adequate water in the event of a fire. Secondary is monitoring the air downwind,” stated Crowe in the letter.

Remington Avenue is located approximately three miles from the solar farm site.

“Water to fight the Rich Road fire once it starts must be trucked. We suggest that unless the RREC battery installation is located within an area currently served or planned to be served, with a municipal water system with adequate supply to properly respond to a major fire at the site, it should not be permitted.”

Buchan wrote that an unsafe installation of any scale is not acceptable in the Canton community.

“Finally we offer these comments in the spirit of educating and informing EDF, as the designer of this project, that the Power Centipede battery technology is not safe. The anxiety caused by knowing this nuisance will exist for all town residents is already causing irreparable harm to the collective peace of mind of the entire community, wrote Buchan.

Buchan said EDF has acknowledged the letter and further discussion will take place.