OOLOGAH, Okla. — Oologah residents charged up about a proposed lithium-ion battery storage facility have gotten their wish for the land it would sit on to be denied rezoning.
The electricity from opposition was again felt on Jan. 21 for the city planning commission meeting, which was moved to the Oolagah Community Center due to the expected crowd.
- Previous coverage >>> Proposed 'battery bank' in Oologah met with skepticism
The facility would be remote-operated and based on a plot of land next to Fourmile Creek - largely in a floodplain- across Highway 169 from a PSO powerplant.
The board listened to property owner Matthew Hinson address negative reviews and questions about the planned site, which he and Black Mountain Energy Storage said would contribute millions to the city's resources, as well as Oologah-Talala Public Schools.
All residents who signed up to speak afterward, however, expressed skepticism and persisting opposition to the project.
"If there's any chance at all of there being an explosion, and hazardous chemicals, floating through the middle of the whole town, why would you do that?" one resident asked.
Hinson told 2 News much was misunderstood.
"Anytime a project like this is not well known, there's always unknowns," Hinson said. "And those always bring up concerns. I was confident that the fire prediction district would've been prepared to respond to any kind of thermal event."
Instead, the vocal majority of those in attendance got their wish, and the rezoning was denied - effectively killing the facility's construction.
"I actually feel like maybe we have set a precedent for at least other small towns," Heidi Steele said.
An online petition Steele shared asking the city to deny the project gathered more than 800 supporters as of Jan. 21.
"We're still looking to help bring development to the area to make the schools better, the fire protection district better, and really look forward to seeing what's next," Hinson added.
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