Clark County Board Faces Public Backlash Over Solar Projects

Article Summary: During its July 18 meeting, the Clark County Board faced a wave of public criticism regarding the recently approved Moonshine and Summit Solar Projects, with residents and experts raising concerns about flawed decommissioning plans, unresolved drainage issues, potential environmental impacts, and the lack of protections for local labor. Citizens urged the board to appeal the special use permits and strengthen the county’s ordinances.

Solar Project Concerns Key Points:

• Residents asked the board to appeal its approval of special use permits for the Moonshine and Summit Solar Projects.

• Concerns were raised about the developer’s decommissioning plan, which allegedly overestimates scrap value and underestimates labor costs, potentially leaving taxpayers to cover future cleanup.

• A civil engineer stated the Moonshine project’s application fails to address stormwater drainage, a requirement under state law.

• Other issues included the need for a wind ordinance, fire safety protocols for battery backups, and the inclusion of a prevailing wage agreement to ensure local labor is used.

MARSHALL — The Clark County Board’s July 18 meeting was dominated by a series of public complaints from residents and experts who sharply criticized the county’s handling of two large-scale solar energy projects, urging the board to appeal its recent approvals.

During the public comments section, multiple speakers voiced significant concerns over the approved special use permits for the Moonshine and Summit Solar Projects. Ed Talbert began the discussion by directly asking the board to appeal the decisions.

He was followed by Bill Cornwell, who detailed what he described as critical failures in the Moonshine Solar Project’s application. Cornwell argued the project’s decommissioning plan is flawed, overestimating the future value of scrap materials while underestimating the labor costs for removal. He warned this could leave the county financially responsible for cleanup. “He also asked for the decommissioning plans to be reviewed and increase the bonds to be able to do future clean up,” the minutes stated. Cornwell also raised concerns about the potential loss of pollinators and asked the board to monitor the project’s environmental impact.

Don Wauthier, a civil engineer with experience in solar projects, told the board that the Moonshine application completely fails to address stormwater drainage. “He said that the State of IL required that a solar farm provide evidence that the rate and volume of stormwater runoff from the site will not be significantly altered and the application does not do that,” according to the minutes.

Concerns extended beyond environmental and financial issues. One resident questioned whether the solar projects included battery backups and what fire protection and training protocols were in place. The board was unable to answer the question. Jerry Woodfall, representing a local union hall, advocated for adding a Tri-Trades Agreement to the county’s ordinance to ensure prevailing wages are paid and local workers are employed on the projects.

The board also heard from Dan Wauthier, an engineer who offered to review the county’s solar ordinance and building permit applications to suggest updates. Warren LeFever, another resident, questioned the budgetary impact of creating new county positions for an HR and IT administrator. Board member Brandon Burkybile explained he had requested the item be placed on the agenda for public discussion.

The board took no action on the public comments but engaged in further discussion on the solar projects before entering a closed executive session.