NYS RENEWABLE
INTELLIGENCE
  • Dashboard
  • Night Desk
  • Projects
  • Opposition Monitor
  • Actors
  • Funding Network
  • Disinformation
  • Legislation
  • Knowledgebase
  • Counter-Measures
  • Reports
  • Map
  • Data Explorer
  • Admin

Quick Search

Two-mile evacuation zone

Narrative dossier · Fire / Battery Safety · 8 instances captured this month

8
All narratives

“Thermal runaway will force a two-mile evacuation of the hamlet with no warning.”

Fire / Battery SafetyUnsubstantiatedFirst seen January 8, 2024·Originated with Stop Sullivan Solar

Newest entry in the fire category and closely coupled to the hydrogen fluoride plume narrative; the same two-mile circle graphic is reused.

8instances this month+3%

Instances this month

8

+3% month over month

Counties affected

5

Top: Tioga County (3 items)

Repeaters identified

3

2 organizations · 1 individuals

Cited rebuttal sources

3

Rebuttal drafted, not yet published

Factual Rebuttal(3 cited sources)The verified response used by the counter-measures team, with the primary sources it rests on.The verified response used by the counter-measures team, with the primary sources it rests on.

Verified response

No NYS battery storage incident has produced an evacuation order beyond the immediate site, including Chaumont. Evacuation decisions rest with the incident commander using the site emergency response plan and real-time monitoring, and the modeled hazard footprint for the reference 20 MW system is measured in hundreds of feet, not miles. The two-mile figure appears in no dispersion model, no NFPA provision, and no state guidance.

Cited sources

  1. 1Chaumont incident review, response actions sectionNYS Div. of Homeland Security & Emergency Services·2023No evacuation beyond the immediate site; shelter-in-place not ordered for the hamlet.
  2. 2HF dispersion modeling for utility-scale BESSNYS Energy Storage Fire Safety Working Group·2024Hazard footprint below AEGL-2 within 90–150 ft of the enclosure for the 20 MW / 80 MWh reference case.
  3. 3Emergency Response Plan template for stationary storageNYS Office of Fire Prevention & Control·2024Assigns evacuation authority to the incident commander with defined isolation distances by scenario.

Propagation Timeline(6 events)How the claim entered the New York record and moved between channels, hearings, and local legislation.How the claim entered the New York record and moved between channels, hearings, and local legislation.

  1. Jan 8, 2024OriginTwo-mile graphic publishedThe same circle used for the fluoride claim is relabeled an “evacuation zone” and posted to Nextdoor.
  2. Jan 30, 2024AmplificationAdded to a petitionPetition text asserts residents “will be given no warning”; 410 signatures collected.
  3. Feb 21, 2024RebuttalEmergency management respondsCounty EM director explains incident-commander authority and the monitoring alarm chain at a public session.
  4. Mar 27, 2024HearingRaised at the Berkshire hearingThree speakers cite the two-mile zone; none can identify its source when asked by the chair.
  5. Apr 19, 2024RebuttalWorking group modeling enteredApplicant files modeling showing the hazard footprint in hundreds of feet.
  6. May 11, 2024MediaGrowth flattens after the public sessionMonthly captures hold at eight; the graphic continues to circulate on Nextdoor.

Who Repeated It(3)Organizations and individuals recorded repeating this claim in hearings, filings, or monitored channels.Organizations and individuals recorded repeating this claim in hearings, filings, or monitored channels.

Actor inventory
  • Stop Sullivan SolarLocal group · originator5repeats
  • Protect Our Communities (Orange Co.)Local group · graphic reuse3repeats
  • Karen VosburghAstroturf Operator · county coordinator3repeats

Deployed Against(1 project)Projects where this claim appeared in the hearing record or in monitored local channels.Projects where this claim appeared in the hearing record or in monitored local channels.

All projects
Berkshire Storage ProjectTioga CountyOpen

Captured excerpt

“Two miles. That is the evacuation radius for a lithium fire and they have not told a single family in this hamlet.”

Nextdoor — Town of Berkshire·May 19, 2024

Spread by County(5)Captured items for this narrative by county. Hover the map for county detail.Captured items for this narrative by county. Hover the map for county detail.

  • Tioga3
  • Orange2
  • Sullivan1
  • Jefferson1
  • Dutchess1

Counter-Messaging Kit(3 audiences)Ready-to-deploy responses tailored per audience, with the local messenger best positioned to deliver each one.Ready-to-deploy responses tailored per audience, with the local messenger best positioned to deliver each one.

Full playbook

Talking point · Town board

Ask the speaker to name the model

The two-mile figure appears in no dispersion model, no NFPA provision, and no state guidance. The modeled footprint for this class of system is 90–150 feet. Requiring findings to cite a source is the cheapest procedural protection you have.

Best messengerFire marshal or county emergency manager