Solar Farm #2, dangers involved.

[RSKY]

Whoopsie Daisies!

The problem isn't the broken panels. The problem is the toxic mess that leaked out of the panels in the rain after they were broke. It goes onto the ground and into streams.

 

[RSKY]

I didn't follow (or perhaps understand LOL) the entire thread from start to finish, but can the state supersede what your county determines?

If the answer is no, your county commissioners should have enough common sense to agree with you. If the answer is yes, going to the state level for something is never fun.

The state has a regulation KRS 278.704 which states that energy manufacturing facilities must be 1000' from property lines. This distance can be lowered by the counties by a county ordinance. But it cannot be increased. The county government has already been sued and lost over this when they tried to increase the distance for a hog production barn. BUT there is also a state 'Siting Board' which can overrule both. This is made up of three bureaucrats from state government, the county judge executive (chief executive officer in KY counties) and one other person from the county. They will make the final decision. Our research shows that this 'Siting Board' always goes with the county ordinance if there is one. So we are leaning on the county government to pass an ordinance than copies the state law.

Greengo, the solar company building the facility, states over and over in their literature that $18 million will come into the county over twenty years from the building of the facility. What they do not say is that the money goes to three families and the decrease in property value of the properties adjoining the facility will nearly equal that amount. Not counting the cost to the county for destroyed roads, fire department upgrades, etc.

 

[MossRoad]

The state has a regulation KRS 278.704 which states that energy manufacturing facilities must be 1000' from property lines. This distance can be lowered by the counties by a county ordinance. But it cannot be increased. The county government has already been sued and lost over this when they tried to increase the distance for a hog production barn. BUT there is also a state 'Siting Board' which can overrule both. This is made up of three bureaucrats from state government, the county judge executive (chief executive officer in KY counties) and one other person from the county. They will make the final decision. Our research shows that this 'Siting Board' always goes with the county ordinance if there is one. So we are leaning on the county government to pass an ordinance than copies the state law.

Greengo, the solar company building the facility, states over and over in their literature that $18 million will come into the county over twenty years from the building of the facility. What they do not say is that the money goes to three families and the decrease in property value of the properties adjoining the facility will nearly equal that amount. Not counting the cost to the county for destroyed roads, fire department upgrades, etc.

How is a solar farm going to destroy road? During the construction? Around here, any project that damages roads or is projected to damage roads during construction has to pay to have the roads put back in like condition once the construction phase is finished. That should all be written into the deal.

And just like gravel pits, landfills, etc., that continuously damage the roads, they have to continuously pay to have them repaired. That's basic stuff.

The three families you've mentioned own the land. They're the only ones making profit off of it if it's corn, soybeans, timber, cattle, or solar panels anyway.

They're also the ones that'll be on the hook for any environmental damages downstream if anything leaves their property, be it manure runoff, AG chemical runoff, soil erosion, etc.

They could just as easily put in hogs right up to the property line or sell it for housing developments.

Those are the hazards of living in rural areas outside of zoned communities where there might be little to no code or code enforcement.

I know this, because I live outside of a city, in the county, where up until last year, there was no code enforcement. I could (and did) have a dilapidated truck sitting in the back of my yard for years. The neighbors didn't mow their lawn for years. Furniture piled up on front porches, dead cars in front yards, piles of junk and yard debris abound. All that drives down others' property values as well.

We have acreage about 9 miles away. It's zoned AG with residential exception. So, I pay AG taxes on it until we improve it with a house. At any give time, someone could open a gravel pit, a livestock farm, a confined feeding operation, a junkyard, etc, right next door.

Again, those are the hazards of living in an area with little to no zoning/code.

 

[Sigarms]

The state has a regulation KRS 278.704 which states that energy manufacturing facilities must be 1000' from property lines. This distance can be lowered by the counties by a county ordinance. But it cannot be increased. The county government has already been sued and lost over this when they tried to increase the distance for a hog production barn. BUT there is also a state 'Siting Board' which can overrule both. This is made up of three bureaucrats from state government, the county judge executive (chief executive officer in KY counties) and one other person from the county. They will make the final decision. Our research shows that this 'Siting Board' always goes with the county ordinance if there is one. So we are leaning on the county government to pass an ordinance than copies the state law.

Honestly, I think you're good. If the "Sitting board" goes with the county ordinance (generally made by people who live in the same area as you do), I honestly don't see a problem as those you live with make the county ordinances.

The only way they couldn't use common sense is if money is coming into the county elsewhere from this solar panel company.

 

[Sigarms]

Those are the hazards of living in rural areas outside of zoned communities where there might be little to no code or code enforcement.

We all don't like code enforcement because it can become hades with stupid rules that defy common sense, but sometimes people who can use common sense can be a good thing.

I'm looking at doing a deck replacement I can't do myself. I've been asked if I'm going to pull a permit. The answer is no, but if you feel a code is good to go by, I'd like to know why you want to do it that way. It helps me to understand better. It's no different than my own line of work when I do know how things should be done the right way.

 

[JJT]

The problem isn't the broken panels. The problem is the toxic mess that leaked out of the panels in the rain after they were broke. It goes onto the ground and into streams.

Sorry Rsky, there are no toxic liquids inside a solar panel. That's a BIG TIME misconception.

Yes there are heavy metals in solar panels in solid form. They do not contain liquids that can leak.

The amount of “chemicals” in solar panels is miniscule. For example, a typical solar panel has about half the amount of lead (used as solder) as a single shotgun shell. A single car battery has more lead than 700 solar panels.

I guess we need to ban shotgun shells and lead acid batteries.

If you are worried about things leaking into the ground and streams lets start with manure, fertilizer and pesticides.

 

[Sigarms]

Sorry Rsky, there are no toxic liquids inside a solar panel. That's a BIG TIME misconception.

Yes there are heavy metals in solar panels in solid form. They do not contain liquids that can leak.

The amount of “chemicals” in solar panels is miniscule. For example, a typical solar panel has about half the amount of lead (used as solder) as a single shotgun shell. A single car battery has more lead than 700 solar panels.

I guess we need to ban shotgun shells and lead acid batteries.

If you are worried about things leaking into the ground and streams lets start with manure, fertilizer and pesticides.

I think the biggest issue is after time removing the solar panels which California is now stuck dealing with after 15-20years.

My line of work is HVAC. The reality is California ****'s the HVAC industry. You don't know how many issues per federal guidelines are dictated by California per the HVAC industry to require all 50 states to follow over time.

No different that electric car batteries.

Sooner or later you have to pay the piper...

Novel idea... Get rid of government subsidies. Don't know how that would affect the farmers, but when it comes to energy usage, it's nothing more than how much you pay your lobbyist from big business.

 

[two_bit_score]

Once you let the camel get its nose under the tent......

An old saying that has proved true on many occasions!

 

[two_bit_score]

Funny how they environmentalists used to cry like stuck pigs when the amazon rain forests were cut down or the coral reefs in the oceans were threatened or when whalers killed whales, but are eerily silent when all those species are destroyed for windmills and solar panels, huh?

It’s the new crusade of the moment.

 

[turbo36]

I think the biggest issue is after time removing the solar panels which California is now stuck dealing with after 15-20years.

My line of work is HVAC. The reality is California ****'s the HVAC industry. You don't know how many issues per federal guidelines are dictated by California per the HVAC industry to require all 50 states to follow over time.

No different that electric car batteries.

Sooner or later you have to pay the piper...

Novel idea... Get rid of government subsidies. Don't know how that would affect the farmers, but when it comes to energy usage, it's nothing more than how much you pay your lobbyist from big business.

If you got rid of government subsidies to the farmers, there would be a financial collapse of the economy that would be equivalent to the great depression.