SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — Two battery energy storage facilities on Long Island’s East End will remain shut down as Suffolk County officials continue investigating groundwater contamination linked to a 2023 fire at an East Hampton facility.
On October 9, County Executive Ed Romaine announced that NextEra Energy had agreed to extend the suspension of operations at its Cove Hollow Road facility in East Hampton and a second facility near Fort Pond in Montauk.
Both facilities are jointly owned by NextEra Energy and National Grid.
The announcement follows concerns about chemicals detected in drinking water near the East Hampton location.
According to Suffolk County, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation determined that water applied during a May 2023 fire mixed with Novec 1230, a fire-suppression chemical, and broke down into perfluoropropionic acid (PFPrA), a short-chain PFAS chemical.
PFAS compounds are often called “forever chemicals” because many persist in the environment.
The county reports that PFPrA has since been detected in drinking water around the facility, prompting the Suffolk County Water Authority to take two wells offline.
The extended suspension will remain in place while the companies implement planned changes, including removal of the Novec 1230 fire-suppression agent from both facilities.
Romaine said the county is awaiting remediation plans for state environmental review while continuing groundwater testing.
The Suffolk County Water Authority has also pursued litigation against NextEra over the contamination, an action supported by the county.
For residents, the unresolved questions involve how far the contamination has spread, what remediation will be required and when the facilities may safely resume operations.
County officials say testing will continue as environmental regulators review the next steps.
Suffolk County Extends Shutdown of Two Battery Storage Facilities Amid Drinking Water Contamination Concerns
