Norfolk Board of Health Flags Nine Deficiencies in Pond Street Solar Review

PEPPERELL — April 28, 2026 — Norfolk Board of Health raises safety concerns over Pond Street solar project's battery storage submission. At the April 28 remote meeting, Chair Andy Bakunowski and Member John Bowman reviewed a Jensen Hughes third-party report that found nine of 16 evaluated areas deficient, absent, or requiring additional information in developer NextGrid's submission. Bowman flagged that NextGrid's December 2025 filing referenced fan noise of 75 decibels against a state DEP limit of 45, and cited conference data showing battery-fire smoke can travel a quarter mile at ground level in 60 seconds — a hazard zone that includes nearby residential neighborhoods and the Stop River's Zone 2 wellhead protection area. Bakunowski noted the plume study omitted analysis of flammable off-gases and heavy metals. Code Red, hired by the town, will present at a May 7 public forum at the Freeman Kennedy School cafeteria, followed by NextGrid. On a separate matter, the board discussed a potential public information session on the GFI remediation of the former Southwood Hospital site on Dedham Street, with a corrected GFI report due May 12 after a mathematical error was found in contamination averaging data.