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4 Environmental Analysis 4.9 Hazards and Hazardous Materials Once the BESS has been removed, all other associated site infrastructure would be removed, including fences, concrete pads that may support the inverters, transformers and related equipment, and underground conduit/electrical wiring. All materials would be recycled to the extent feasible. The area would be thoroughly cleaned, and all debris removed. Therefore, decommissioning and disposal of Project components, including the batteries, would have a less than significant impact related to the routine transport, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials. Mitigation: None required. IMPACT 4.9-2: Would the project create a significant hazard to the public or the environment through the reasonably foreseeable upset and accident conditions involving the likely release of hazardous materials into the environment? (Less than Significant Impact) Construction Potential impacts that may result from upset or accidents during construction of the Project include the accidental release of materials, such as hydraulic fluid, fuel, insulation oil, grease, lubricants, paints, solvents, and adhesives. Generally, the quantities of these hazardous materials would be relatively limited and handled in accordance with manufacturer's guidelines. In addition, implementation of the BMPs required by the NPDES Construction General Permit would include containment and spill response measures, which would reduce the potential impact from upset and accident conditions to a less than significant level. Additionally, there are no active LUST or Cleanup Program sites documented on the Project site or in the vicinity, such that encountering aboveground and/or subsurface contamination is not anticipated during construction. The closest open case is a LUST Cleanup site located approximately 2.3 miles northwest of the Project site (SWRCB 2022). Therefore, risk of upset and accident conditions would be unlikely, and the impacts would be less than significant. Operation O&M of the battery energy storage facility would generate little hazardous waste. Electrical equipment used by the Project, such as inverters and each enclosed transformer at the substation, would include an insulating fluid, such as vegetable or mineral oil, but upsets or accidents would be controlled via the secondary containment provided in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The insulating oil contained in each transformer does not normally require replacement, minimizing the potential for upsets or accidents involving its use. Further, Health and Safety Code Section 25500 et seq. requires the preparation of hazardous materials release response plans, such as an HMBP, under specified circumstances. The Project would likely use lithium-ion batteries, which contain flammable and corrosive liquid materials. The potential for hazardous materials to be released during an accidental breakage of the batteries does exist. However, batteries would be housed in multiple self-contained storage system enclosures, as well as the battery storage system controller. The energy storage system controller is a multi-level control system designed to provide a hierarchical system of controls for the battery modules, PCS, medium voltage system, and up to the point of change of ownership (POCO) with the electrical grid. The controllers ensure that the energy storage system effectively Griffith Energy Storage Project 4.9-15 Tetra Tech/SCH 2022120675 Draft Environmental Impact Report August 2023