Battery Plants Near Schools SPARK Outrage

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin emerges as an unexpected champion for New Yorkers battling dangerous battery storage facilities threatening their communities, marking a potential victory for local safety over corporate green energy profits.

Story Highlights

• EPA Chief Zeldin schedules Hauppauge press conference to address battery storage safety concerns
• New Yorkers find federal ally against massive lithium battery plants near schools and homes
• Suffolk County native brings local knowledge to federal environmental policy
• Community safety advocates gain momentum against corporate green energy overreach

Zeldin Returns Home to Address Local Safety Crisis

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will hold a press conference in Hauppauge on August 18, 2025, addressing mounting safety concerns over Battery Energy Storage Systems throughout New York. The Suffolk County native brings federal authority to an ongoing debate between residents raising safety concerns and developers seeking to expand lithium battery installations near schools and neighborhoods. This represents a significant shift from previous federal indifference to local community safety concerns.

Community Opposition Gains Federal Recognition

Local residents across New York have organized campaigns and public hearings to oppose BESS facilities, particularly after fire incidents raised safety concerns. Experts, including NYU chemical safety researcher Dr. Michael Gochfeld, note that lithium-ion batteries can experience thermal runaway events, which in some past cases have burned for extended periods and released toxic gases. Environmental justice advocates, including the nonprofit WE ACT for Environmental Justice, argue that battery projects are often sited in lower-income neighborhoods where residents have fewer resources to challenge development.

Deregulatory Approach Prioritizes Local Control

Since taking office in January 2025, Zeldin has rolled back over 30 federal environmental regulations while emphasizing local community authority and public safety. His five-pillar EPA framework prioritizes emergency response capabilities and reduces federal overreach that previously enabled corporations to override local concerns. This approach recognizes that environmental protection must include protecting communities from industrial hazards disguised as green energy solutions.

Environmental justice advocates have long criticized the placement of industrial battery facilities in residential areas without proper safety buffers or emergency protocols. Zeldin’s intervention signals that the EPA views community safety as an integral part of renewable energy planning, according to his August 2025 Hauppauge statement.

Federal Leadership Challenges Green Energy Orthodoxy

The EPA’s newfound attention to BESS safety concerns represents a departure from blind support for renewable energy projects regardless of local impact. Zeldin’s approach acknowledges that true environmental protection includes safeguarding communities from industrial hazards, not just promoting politically fashionable energy sources. This common-sense position puts community safety ahead of corporate green energy profits and federal mandates.

Long Island, Hauppauge, Suffolk, NYS Expecting good news tomorrow with @epaleezeldin coming home!! https://t.co/Vq9khEW75l

— MagaMalinois (@MagaMalinois) August 17, 2025

Local governments now have federal backing to implement stricter safety standards and reject dangerous installations that threaten public welfare. This shift empowers communities to protect themselves from corporate environmental exploitation masquerading as climate action.

Sources:

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Announces Five Pillars to Guide the EPA’s Work
Lee Zeldin
EPA’s Zeldin emerges as Project 2025 frontman
EPA Administrator