A new lawsuit is taking aim at a massive 3.2-million-square-foot Amazon robotics warehouse proposed for the Town of Wawayanda, claiming the project would rely on 6,000 lithium-ion batteries to power robots that would replace human workers — and could put the small rural community at risk.

The suit, filed in Orange County Supreme Court, was brought by Protect Orange County, Orange Environment, Inc., and local resident Deborah Jean Taylor.

The petition accuses town officials of breaking state law by approving the project without requiring a full environmental impact study. The Town of Wawayanda, its town board and the Wawayanda Planning Board are named in the lawsuit as respondents. The warehouse, proposed on roughly 190 acres off Route 6 where a quarry now operates, would be one of the largest in the nation and rise nearly 100 feet high, exceeding local zoning limits.

“Housing 6,000 lithium-ion batteries in a 100-foot-tall building is extremely dangerous,” said Pramilla Malick, chair of Protect Orange County. “The public deserves to know the impacts and the risk.”

The lawsuit challenges the town’s State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR), which determined the project would have “no significant adverse impacts.”

According to the report, the facility’s energy demand was considered “not significant,” and traffic and noise from thousands of trucks were also found to have “no significant impact.”

Opponents say those conclusions ignore the 9.5 megawatts of power consumption, the risks of lithium-ion batteries and the town’s volunteer fire district’s limited capacity to handle a potential emergency. Critics raise concerns not only about fire safety but also public health, since burning lithium-ion batteries can emit toxic chemicals such as hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. A nearby community in Warwick, New York, recently experienced several days of fires at a lithium-ion battery facility that released hazardous fumes into the air.

“There’s no mention of batteries, no mention of power use,” Malick said. “None of these issues were really addressed.”

Malick is a longtime environmental activist who was among the “Wawayanda Six” arrested during a 2015 sit-in against the CPV gas power plant — another controversial project in town that was built under an Albany pay-to-play scandal and remains under state review for a federal Clean Air Act permit.

The filing also claims the town failed to consider the cumulative impact of multiple large industrial projects currently under review, including several warehouses and a proposed transfer station, as required under state environmental law.

“Decisions are being made that risk your health, safety, and way of life,” Malick said. “You have to get involved before it’s too late.”

Town officials did not respond to News 12’s request for comment.

In a statement to News 12, Amazon said:

“We work hard to be a good neighbor and appreciate the partnership we have with many communities across the country – including in the Town of Wawayanda. Before a facility launches, we participate in due diligence exercises around traffic, environmental reviews, and more. Our teams and partners also participate in public forums with local officials and members of the community to answer questions around customers, the opportunities we’ll offer locally, and how we’ll support the community. We’re committed to continuing this process in Wawayanda.”

Amazon added that products containing lithium-ion batteries are common in warehouses and retail centers, and said the facility would include a specialized fire suppression system tested for safety and approved by the state in August 2025. The company also noted that the New York Department of State approved similar performance-based designs for four other facilities, determining they would not substantially affect public health or safety.

The case is pending in Orange County Supreme Court, and a state monitor is reviewing an $80 million tax incentive package tied to the project.