Board of Health challenges battery storage water threat
Board of Health intervenes on battery storage water contamination risk. Chairperson Melissa Braga, Vice Chairperson Susan Amato, Clerk George Ferdinand, and members Chris Janeczak and Pamela LeFave voted unanimously 5-0 to authorize Director of Public Health Shannon Gillis to submit their concerns
Board of Health · Meeting of January 22, 2026
TEWKSBURY — Board of Health intervenes on battery storage water contamination risk. Chairperson Melissa Braga, Vice Chairperson Susan Amato, Clerk George Ferdinand, and members Chris Janeczak and Pamela LeFave voted unanimously 5-0 to authorize Director of Public Health Shannon Gillis to submit their concerns about the Hillman Energy Center BESS project to the Energy Facilities Siting Board by January 27. The system would render 36 percent of the parcel impervious, far exceeding the 15 percent threshold required in the Groundwater Protection District.
Members raised concerns about lack of containment for firefighting water and chemicals and absence of artificial recharge systems.
In the full story:
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Source: the Board of Health meeting of January 22, 2026, compiled from the official minutes.
Members read the rest of this story and every Tewksbury meeting we cover, in full.
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