Staten Island Politicians: End Dangerous BESS (Battery Storage Sites) Proliferation

BP Vito Fossella

4 hours ago

BP Fossella, Assemblyman Pirozzolo to Renew Calls for an End to Dangerous BESS Proliferation

Editor’s note: As many Islanders may have noticed, there has been a massive proliferation of these sites across the island, with several new construction sites and recently opened locations presently in use. They’re often very close to homes and schools in their areas, raising serious fire safety concerns in light of several recent fires across the country.

Staten Island, NY – Borough President Vito Fossella and Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo renewed calls for an end to the proliferation of volatile lithium-ion battery energy storage systems at a press conference at 1963 Victory Boulevard on Tuesday, June 9th at 12:30 PM.

BP Fossella and Assemblyman Pirozzolo have long been vocal opponents of the mass siting of dangerous lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS) in residential neighborhoods on Staten Island, which was made possible by the reclassification of BESS to residential zoning in the City of Yes.

Since the implementation of the City of Yes, a large share of all BESS units in the City have been proposed or sited on Staten Island. Furthermore, while BESS systems near completion across the Borough, fires continue to ignite in BESS facilities across the country and close to home – including a BESS in Warwick which caught fire earlier this year for the second time in two years.

At the press conference, the Borough President and Assemblyman will renew their call for the City and the State to put residents first and intervene to stop these dangerously volatile and unproven facilities from being built next to homes and gas stations.

Banner Image: BESS siting press conference. Image Credit – BP Fossella

BP Vito Fossella

The Office of the Borough President has a responsibility to advocate for the entire Borough of Staten Island and all its residents, and represents the Borough's interests within City government. The Borough President communicates directly with the Mayor and the City Council to emphasize Staten Island’s budget priorities. In addition, the Borough President is responsible for reviewing major land use decisions and proposing sites for city facilities within the Borough. As the chair of the Borough Board, the Borough President leads Staten Island’s City Council delegation and Community Board chairs in the process of reviewing and approving the transfer of public properties to private use. The Borough President’s Office houses the Borough's Topographical Bureau, which maintains the borough’s official maps and assigns street addresses. The Borough President monitors the delivery of city services on Staten Island, and acts as a liaison between residents and city agencies when problems arise to devise solutions. The Borough President is also responsible for appointing one member to the Panel for Educational Policy and one member to the City Planning Commission, as well as some 150 members to Staten Island’s three community boards.