Marine Park residents fear two planned battery-storage facilities could turn their neighborhood into a “miniature Chernobyl” — with the potential for toxic chemical leaks and major fire hazards.
NineDot Energy, a green-energy storage company, is preparing to open the Battery Energy Storage Systems on Flatbush Avenue on either side of Quentin Road, one of which butts up against multiple residential properties and shares its walls with two businesses.
The incoming 14-megawatt systems will be built with Tesla Megapacks, which are large-scale rechargeable lithium-ion battery storage products with a history of catching on fire.
“If their system fails or glitches, if one battery ignites, that’s it,” Claudia Greco told The Post, adding that her property is only separated from the facility by a thin fence the “width of my hand.”
“You cannot put out a chemical fire with water. How are you going to evacuate if my house is already on fire and I already have toxic chemicals destroying not only my house, but my entire neighborhood?”
Hydrogen fluoride, hydrochloric acid, carbon monoxide, lithium particulate matter and PCBs are just some of the toxic chemicals Greco is concerned will infiltrate the area in the event of a leak, transforming the lush, but densely packed Brooklyn neighborhood into a ticking-time bomb.
“It’s like a miniature Chernobyl without radiation,” said Greco’s husband, Ed Rohrlich.
Brooklyn’s Community Board 18 held a special town hall last week after learning about the incoming NineDot facility, with company representatives looking to assure locals they had nothing to fear.
“The battery storage systems we build are safe. We wouldn’t build them otherwise,” said Karen Alter, NineDot’s Chief Marketing Officer, adding that the FDNY has “strict oversight over our development.”
The Brooklyn-based company said the site would house “community-scale” battery storage systems, meaning they are bigger than at-home batteries, but smaller than “utility-scale” sites.
The Flatbush Avenue buildings were identified as ideal locations because of their ability to connect to the ConEd grid, and a NineDot representative stressed that the density of the busy commercial and residential blocks played no role in the facility’s location.
“We think it’s no coincidence that there have been no safety incidents involving energy storage in NYC, despite several projects of various sizes being operational.” she continued, adding that the notion of toxic gases posing an issue is “simply false.”
“The State Inter-Agency Fire Safety Working Group studied air quality and ground water following safety incidents at energy storage sites outside NYC, and found absolutely no levels of hazardous materials dangerous to neighbors,” Alter said.
But Alter’s claims have done little to quell concerned residents, who pointed to previous Tesla Megapack infernos — like one that raged for two days in January in Moss Landing, California, forcing the evacuation of 1,2000 people.
After the fire, experts found that levels of nickel, manganese, and cobalt had jumped hundreds to 1,000 times higher than before the fire, including several miles away at a neighboring wildlife refuge, KQED reported. Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed his megapacks had nothing to do with the fire.
CB 18 member Rob Mazzuchin questioned what the effects would be for the densely populated Marine Park
“If this thing goes on fire, there is a 3-to-4-mile evacuation radius. When you’re in Suffolk County and you’re evacuating 400 homes, that’s one thing. If you ever have to evacuate Brooklyn around this because of toxic fumes — just think how far four miles goes,” Mazzuchin, 54, a life-long Marine Park resident.
“You’re at 86th Street in Bensonhurst. You’re at Church Avenue on Flatbush Avenue. You’re out at the [Marine Park] golf course, and then you’re out at Bergen Beach.”
Some locals suggested NineDot move away from the residential hub — further down Flatbush Avenue, near Kings Plaza Mall, lies a formerToys R Us that has been abandoned for years. But the site is unsuitable, Alter explained, because it is in a flood plain and can’t connect to the ConEd grid.
The energy company’s project is as-of-right, meaning it is an acceptable use under current zoning for the area. NineDot did hold a community “meet-and-greet” and has promised to further educate the neighborhood on the project.
City Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse told The Post that she is concerned about the “serious safety and environmental concerns” of lithium battery storage and is exploring all possible avenues to put the brakes on the project and possibly have it moved to a more suitable location.
Neighbors are also considering bringing a lawsuit to stop the project.
“It’s just a great community and right now the residents are feeling the fear of ‘if something happens,'” said Rob Tracey, former president of the Marine Park Alliance.
“We put smoke detectors in our house because we want to protect ourselves. But there’s certain things we can’t protect ourselves from. If something happens to that plant, there is no way to extinguish it or protect us as residents in the neighborhood, and it could be a life-long event that could change the community forever.”
https://nypost.com/2025/03/13/us-news/marine-park-outraged-over-incoming-battery-storage-facility/
