Oakham Board of Health Commits to Noise Ordinance Push Against Battery Storage Project

OAKHAM — September 25, 2025 — Oakham Board of Health takes up noise, fire, and water concerns over proposed 296-unit battery storage park. Residents Steve Wentzel of East Hill Road and Matt Broderick of 1871 North Brookfield Road appeared before the board September 25 to oppose a grid-scale Tesla Megapack battery facility that would require a comprehensive state exemption from Oakham's local zoning bylaws, which currently prohibit standalone battery storage. Wentzel said project sound consultant Epsilon Associates redacted all equipment noise data from its filings with the Energy Facilities Siting Board and modeled the units at 40 percent fan speed, arguing actual operating noise — from roughly 1,480 cooling fans running in summer heat — would far exceed those projections, with each transformer cooling fan rated at 102 decibels A-weighted at the source. Broderick warned that a thermal runaway fire at the site, located approximately 3,000 feet from the Oakham Center School, could release toxic gases and particulate matter contaminating private wells for miles. The board committed to working with the Leicester Coalition on a noise ordinance and baseline noise study, coordinating with the Planning Board, and drafting a letter to state legislators; the first formal EFSB public hearing is set for October 16, 6 to 9 p.m., at the Oakham Center School.