New York State adopts new fire safety code for battery storage
The Watertown Daily Times reports that’s after a safety push that arose following a series of destructive battery facility fires in Orange, Suffolk, and Jefferson counties
The 2023 blaze in Chaumont in Jefferson County (header image) burned for days. It was one of the first major battery storage fires in the US.
Almost 30 regional fire departments fought the fire over the course of a week, but they weren’t familiar with how to fight a battery fire, or the details of the facility.
Two local lawmakers, Assemblyman Scott Gray and Senator Mark Walczyk, introduced legislation after the Chaumont fire that would have required that data sheets for facilities be made readily available near the perimeter of the site; that is now part of the state’s new fire code.
Under the code, companies that operate large-scale battery energy storage facilities will need to provide qualified staff, who can be dispatched to a facility within 15 minutes of an emergency alert, and arrive within four hours.
They’re also required to have centralized alarm systems, provide more safety documentation, and provide training to local fire departments.
See more here northcountrypublicradio.org
Header image: Three Mile Bay Fire Company
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