A fire that destroyed a battery storage facility at First Wind’s Kahuku wind energy project did not expose the community to harmful contaminants, according to a study conducted by an environmental consultant and endorsed by the state Department of Health.
Battery maker Xtreme Power hired LVI Services, an environmental remediation firm, to take air and soil samples around the site of the fire to test for traces of lead.
The Aug. 1 fire destroyed 12,000 lead-acid batteries in the battery energy storage system (BESS) building, according to a report from the local office of Enpro Environmental, which was subcontracted by LVI Services to do the air and soil testing. First Wind’s nearby operations and maintenance building was not damaged in the fire.
Ten soil samples and two air samples were taken within 36 hours of the fire by Enpro Environmental staff. Materials in the BESS building were still smoldering and producing smoke when the samples were taken.
"Based on the results of Enpro’s sampling and analysis of air samples for lead, it is Enpro’s opinion that there is no airborne lead risk hazard within the (operations and maintenance) building or in the area immediately adjacent and downwind of the BESS building," according to the report.
The conclusion was similar for the soil testing.
"Based on these results it is Enpro’s opinion that the surface soils in the locations sampled at the project do not contain lead soil contaminants which represent a risk to human health or the environment," according to the Enpro report.
However, the Enpro report cautioned that preventive measures should be taken to prevent exposure to lead dust when the remnants of the burned-out BESS building are removed.
First Wind and Xtreme Power are still working to determine the cause of the fire, according to Paul Gaynor, First Wind chief executive officer. "We look forward to getting the wind farm back on line as soon as practical," he said in a news release.
The 30-megawatt Kahuku project had been performing well up until the time of the fire, said John Lamontagne, First Wind spokesman.
"For the first six months of 2012, the Kahuku project was generating energy at a rate that was above projections," he said. "The project was on target to meet the annual projected generation."
The project was idled from June 2 to July 13 because of transmission line maintenance work conducted by HECO near the project, he added.
Xtreme Power has battery systems at five wind and solar projects in Hawaii. The battery systems are used to smooth out fluctuations in voltage output from wind and solar energy projects.
