Question and Submission History

On lightning strike mitigation: We install specialized surge arresters and active grounding grids that meet NFPA 780 lightning protection standards. We are also adding a lightning transient analysis to our electrical safety models to verify the system can isolate and ground a strike without damage.

On fire-water runoff containment: Modern safety protocols for lithium-ion battery fires recommend letting a single contained cabinet burn out rather than spraying huge amounts of water. In past industry incidents, the firefighting water itself, not the fire, created contaminated runoff. If the fire department must use water to cool adjacent units, a continuous concrete foundation and a lined drainage swale will capture and contain the runoff for safe disposal.

On the water supply and fire pond: Siting a battery system under NFPA 855 does not require a dedicated fire-water pond on site. We are coordinating directly with Charlton Fire Chief Rob Barton to determine the exact water supply, dry hydrant, and equipment needs. If required, we will construct a dedicated cistern or dry-hydrant connection point at the developer's expense.

The fire water supply is being planned with the Fire Chief and will be part of the Emergency Action Plan. Charlton Fire has confirmed there is no hydrant system at the site. Options include storing water at the site to match what fire trucks can deliver. A pond is not part of the current design. Extending town water to the site is not in the current design or the draft Community Benefits Plan.

Water would come from the supply arrangement being planned with the Fire Chief. Options include water stored at the site and water brought in by fire trucks. Charlton Fire has said water would be trucked in, and that extending the water line from Route 169 is something the town could consider. That is the town's decision, and it has not been made. The planned response to a battery unit fire is also defensive: protect the surroundings and monitor the air while the unit burns out, with water used to cool neighboring equipment and not sprayed on the burning unit.

This is one of the central design questions in the current emergency planning work. Options under discussion include on-site water storage and equipment matched to how the Charlton Fire Department operates, such as tanker capability. The answer will be documented in the emergency management plan and the site design, both subject to independent review.

Firefighting water would be needed at the site, not on your road. We have committed to capture firefighting water on site, on a hard surface, so it cannot reach groundwater. We have also committed to plan the fire water supply with the Fire Chief. Storing water at the site to match what fire trucks can deliver is one option. Charlton Fire has confirmed there is no hydrant system at the site and that water would be trucked in, or the town could consider extending the water line from Route 169. That is the town's decision and it has not been made.