Battery energy storage is a crucial clean energy technology, but it must be developed responsibly.
Battery Storage must be designed to protect Long Island’s aquifer.
For immediate release: June 22, 2026
For more information, contact:
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, 516-390-7150, aesposito@citizenscampaign.org
Farmingdale, NY – Suffolk County Water Authority has closed two wells in East Hampton after finding contamination from toxic PFAS chemicals and has filed a lawsuit alleging a 2023 fire at the East Hampton Energy Storage Center is responsible for the contamination. This Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) was one of the first to be built in New York and is of an older, first-generation model that was put in place before New York implemented strict fire codes. New BESS facilities will be built with state-of-the-art fire mitigation systems that do not require water to be used, this older facility used over 2 million gallons of water to fight the fire and had no containment system to prevent contamination from seeping into Long Island’s groundwater.
Citizens Campaign for the Environment is urging East Hampton Energy Storage Center to take responsibility and clean up the contamination. CCE is also urging New York State and municipalities to require that new facilities implement stormwater management to prevent PFAS or other contaminates from entering groundwater. While the situation in the East Hampton fire would be prevented by the New York State fire codes, developers should still be implementing a system to ensure there is no potential PFAS in stormwater runoff from rain.
Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, issued the following statement:
“Battery Energy Storage Systems are a critical piece of our renewable energy mix and necessary to diversify our energy sources. They stabilize our energy grid in the face of more extreme weather events and provide capacity that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, leading to cleaner air for New Yorkers. Every large-scale energy project has impacts, but especially with newer technology such as BESS, it is crucial that we build them responsibly and in a way that is protective of our environment.
The East Hampton Energy Storage Center was one of the first BESS projects in the state. The fire helped spur New York to create a stringent, protective fire code to ensure these systems are built safely with no risk to the community. PFAS contamination was a result of using the sprinkler system designed to fight such a fire if one occurred, therefore, the company is at fault and we are calling on the developer to fully clean up that contamination. Moving forward, we need to ensure that no toxic contamination results from stormwater runoff at BESS facilities. We must protect drinking water and communities. We must also transition off fossil fuels by building renewable energy and energy storage. This can absolutely be done safely and responsibly.”
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