Lanark County committee greenlights two leases for battery energy storage facility, residents continue to voice safety fears
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify that this matter was not before Lanark County Council; it was before the Lanark County Land Division Committee, who approved two leases for a period greater than 21 years.
The Lanark County Land Division Committee met on Tuesday, Aug. 13 to discuss the leasehold agreement for the upcoming Battery Energy Storage Solution (BESS) facility, which will be located on, 6299 County Rd. 29 in Mississippi Mills.
Applications were on the table for consent under S. 53 of the Planning Act for the approval of two leases for a period greater than 21 years. The Land Division Committee for Lanark County is a Council-appointed tribunal comprised of three public members, which exercises its authority autonomously and independently of County Council for applications for consent and other Planning Act matters.
The BESS facility will use lithium batteries to store and distribute electricity. It will store unused energy during off-peak times (overnight) and distribute it to the grid during peak hours. Ground has broken on the facility and it is expected to be operational by May 2025. The consent applications discussed at Tuesday’s meeting simply gave legal tenure structure to the already reviewed and approved scope of development.
As previously reported by Lanarkist, similar facilities were proposed for Orillia, Prince Edward County, Elizabethtown-Kitley, Rideau Lakes and west Ottawa. All were rejected in late 2023 due to concerns for the environment and community safety. In Mississippi Mills, residents have voiced worries about the potential risks including ground water contamination, threats to livestock, increased fire hazard, and toxic fumes that may be emitted, especially in the case of fire. The Ramsay Meadows neighbourhood, a subdivision of 49 homes located across from the National Research Council’s (NRC) national fire lab and adjacent to the future BESS site, has been particularly vocal in opposing the project.
In 2013, the NRC lab discovered that fire fighting chemicals had contaminated the groundwater on their property, as well as the well-water of nearby residents, rendering it unsafe for consumption. Already dealing with health concerns, residents are now alarmed about the new BESS facility being built next to their homes.
“We are living a nightmare and aren’t feeling any love or protection from the municipality,” said one concerned Ramsay Meadows resident, who wished to remain anonymous. “Put it this way, would you buy a home in our neighbourhood?”
An email from Ramsay Meadows resident Christina Turney to Planning Clerical Assistant Kristy Warwick, which was included in Appendix D, echoed these concerns. She wrote, “Our community really feels like our municipal authorities don’t care about us at all. The former mayor was not supportive at the onset of the NRC fiasco and our current mayor doesn’t care about how this will further impact residents’ health, safety and property values.”
On the bright side, environmental concerns seem to be minimal, according to documents provided by the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) that were shared in Appendix B. MVCA concluded that no features within its scope of review were identified on the land, and sufficient space exists on the land for future development beyond 30 metres of the MVCA-regulated wetland and outside areas with organic soils. The MVCA was satisfied that the retained lands are already developed, with no new development proposed at this time.
Additional concerns for the project stem from a perceived conflict of interest regarding land ownership. The land intended for the project is owned by Allan Robert Lowry, a direct relative of Mississippi Mills Mayor Christa Lowry. Paul Crozier, a Ramsay Meadows resident, raised these concerns with his neighbours asking “Who was your County Warden in 2021? Who is your mayor? Who’s property is this [BESS] on” suggesting a conflict of interest. In our last article on Mississippi Mills’ BESS, we reported Mayor Lowry declared a conflict of interest due to her family’s ownership of the property at the municipal council meeting on Jan. 16. Ashley Kulp, communications coordinator, reiterated “Mayor Lowry has declared a pecuniary interest on this file. She has had no involvement in the process and has not participated in any of the discussions, debates, or votes. Anytime this matter has been discussed, the mayor has not been in the room.”
The committee meeting further clarified that Mayor Lowry has had nothing to do with the project. Lowry herself stated in an email “ Because the BESS project will be on land owned by my family, I have had no involvement – as mayor or within my family. I declared pecuniary interest and removed myself from all related discussions over the last two terms at committee of the whole and council, and did not attend either of the two public meetings/information centres.”
Neither the developer, COMPASS, nor the Municipality of Mississippi Mills has responded to our questions about the long-term benefits of the project for the municipality specifically. Short term benefits include monetary gain for the landowner and the creation of local jobs during the facility’s construction. However, the facility will be unmanned, so no long-term jobs will be created, and the energy generated will go into the provincial grid. Specialized fire safety training will be provided for the Mississippi Mills Fire Department by the developer, though it remains unclear whether this will impact municipal taxes due to the need for specialized machinery. A safety plan in the event of necessary evacuation of neighbouring homes has yet to be provided.
For more information about the project, please visit the public website: https://almonteenergystorage.com/.