Towns and Lewis County Officials Continuing Research for Potential Project
Posted Friday February 21st, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TOWN AND COUNTY OFFICIALS CONTINUE TO GATHER INFORMATION ON PROPOSED HYDROSTOR PROJECT
LOWVILLE, NY – While the proposed Hydrostor project is in the early stages of development, county officials and town representatives are actively working to collect information on the Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) facility and assess its potential impacts. Many community members have inquired about the legal, engineering, and environmental requirements associated with this initiative. Given the scale of the project, the host municipality will utilize extensive legal review, engineering assessments, and environmental evaluations during the planning process.
In addition to the local planning reviews relative to local zoning laws, after consulting with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), officials have determined that the project would likely also require multiple state permits, including but not limited to:
Potential NYSDEC Permit Requirements
Boring Sample Permit
To assess the geological composition of the site, Hydrostor would need to drill and extract rock samples for testing. The NYSDEC typically requires a permit for drilling deeper than 500 feet.
Mining Permit
The project involves excavating rock to create underground storage for compressed air, with excavation reaching depths of approximately 2,000–3,000 feet. The storage chamber would be roughly the size of a football field.
Standard mining permits typically include regulations on blasting, requiring licensed professionals and adherence to industry standards. These permits often restrict blasting to business hours on weekdays, prohibiting activity at night, on weekends, and holidays. Additionally, impact thresholds follow the z-curve, and blasting is typically prohibited within 500 feet of adjacent properties.
Noise conditions would require adherence to a standard decibel limit to minimize sound impact on surrounding areas.
As part of the mining permitting process, NYSDEC typically conducts a thorough environmental review as the Lead Agency to assess potential impacts to the environment.
Town and County Officials remain committed to gathering comprehensive information and addressing community concerns. Discussions will continue, and further updates will be provided as more details become available.
If you would like to submit any questions or concerns, please visit: https://forms.office.com/g/egdhBhWNpA