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Thread: Lancaster sets Public Hearing on solar project

  1. #1
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    Lancaster sets Public Hearing on solar project

    The Lancaster Town Board will hold a Public Hearing on the 1st day of March 2021, to hear all interested persons upon the application of Andrea DeBernardis of AC Power 14, LLC, for a Special Use Permit to install two (2) Co-located Ballasted Community Solar PV Facilities to be located on two (2) parcels on Gunnville Road.

    The resolution was adopted but not without controversy. Resident Kevin Lemaster addressed the board at the opening pre-file resolution public comment session and requested the board consider tabling the resolution for further study / research.

    Lemaster questioned whether the board had done due diligence in researching the adverse impacts of a solar project on the environment. After asking several questions that went unanswered, he commented that was the reason he commented the board needed tabling the resolution to allow for them and the public as well to do research. “The town is first and foremost responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the residents,” remarked Lemaster.

    Council members Leary and Dickman agreed with Lemasters’ request. Supervisor Ruffino told Lemaster that his comments and concerns could be made known at the public hearing. Lemaster countered by pointing out it was important to know when the dump site was closed and what kinds of toxic materials were dumped on the landfill and their impact on groundwater.

    After conferring with councilmembers Mazur and Wozniak, Ruffino stated that the resolution would stand but that the public would have an opportunity to submit written questions / comments and the board promised not to vote on approving the special use permit the same evening, but to digest the comments and vote later.

    Public comment session

    Lemaster also addressed the board at the closing public comment session and presented information the town and public should consider. Information that even the project sponsor might not be able to answer.

    Everyone knows that climate change is a problem and that CO2 emissions are of big concern now that America rejoined the Paris Climate Accord.

    The panels are made in China because you cannot make them in the U.S because of chemicals not allowed here – like NITROGEN TRIFLOURIDE (TRIFLORAMINE) is 17,200 times more deadly than C02 and a major contributor to Green House Gas.

    Other toxic chemicals:

    SULFUR HEXAFLOURIDEANOTHER
    CADMIUM TELLURIDE
    COPPER INDIUM SELENIDE
    CADMIUM INDIUM GALLIUM (DI) SELENIDE LEAD
    POLYVINYL FLUORDE
    SILICON TETRACHLORIDE. (IF EXPOSED TO WATER, RELEASES HYDROCHLORIC ACID).

    Overall, solar panels create 300 times more toxic waste per unit of energy than Nuclear Nitrogen Trifluoride emissions by 1,057% over the last 25 years.

    If the same amount of electricity were produced by solar and nuclear in 2016, over the next 25 years, nuclear waste would be approximately 52 meters in height (height of leaning tower of Pisa). The solar waste produced would equate to 16 kilometers, or the height of two Mount Everest’s.

    In comparison, nuclear produces 4 grams of CO2 per KWH, solar 50 grams of CO2 per KWH.

    Solar efficiency- 11-15%
    Wind efficiency – 32%
    Coal & natural gas efficiency – 52% (Blades cut up and placed in landfills. Cannot be recycled.)
    Nuclear efficiency – 91%

    Decommissioned solar panels are buried in landfills or shipped to 3rd world countries for disposal. No way to rid of them now, even 20-30 years later. There has been no plan set up yet on how to get rid of these.

    Please do your research because these are not clean energy and cannot be recycled. They can recycle the frames, the cables, yes. Transformers yes, but not the waste. This is going to be a future global chemical problem.

  2. #2
    Member Frank Lee Blunt's Avatar
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    Lee, thanks for your interest in this project. You really are a beacon for the citizenry. When one peruses the plans closely they will find many reasons to take caution. An opening thought might be, "What is the worth of said property? How much did the Town evaluate said property? How much money will the Town realize in costs in the future? What penalties are to be applied for not meeting time limits and construction regulations? If one travels around that particular area of town they cannot help but see For Sale signs everywhere of commercially valuable parcels of land. The commercial tax receipts realized from undeveloped land is crucial to the residents, as it in every way affects the amount of taxes they must contribute to keep our Town viable. These properties, especially land owned by the Town(which really belongs to the citizens) should be sold to the investors who can contribute the most to our tax funds, not to special interest groups that manage to get close enough to the Supervisor to have him become their own private Sales Representative. These type of Government subsidised project only make money for the investor as his costs are paid outright with your Federal Tax dollars. When it comes time to replace the solar panels the public is left holding the bag. You will be handcuffed with the costs of removal of very dangerous materials that can't just go to the dumps. Lee I expect you will have your antenna up on this one.
    Frank Lee Speaking....

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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Lee Blunt View Post
    Lee, thanks for your interest in this project. You really are a beacon for the citizenry. When one peruses the plans closely they will find many reasons to take caution. An opening thought might be, "What is the worth of said property? How much did the Town evaluate said property? How much money will the Town realize in costs in the future? What penalties are to be applied for not meeting time limits and construction regulations? If one travels around that particular area of town they cannot help but see For Sale signs everywhere of commercially valuable parcels of land. The commercial tax receipts realized from undeveloped land is crucial to the residents, as it in every way affects the amount of taxes they must contribute to keep our Town viable. These properties, especially land owned by the Town(which really belongs to the citizens) should be sold to the investors who can contribute the most to our tax funds, not to special interest groups that manage to get close enough to the Supervisor to have him become their own private Sales Representative. These type of Government subsidised project only make money for the investor as his costs are paid outright with your Federal Tax dollars. When it comes time to replace the solar panels the public is left holding the bag. You will be handcuffed with the costs of removal of very dangerous materials that can't just go to the dumps. Lee I expect you will have your antenna up on this one.

    Hey Blunt:

    As someone who served on the Town of Lancaster Solar committee to establish solar installation code requirements, this major installation project is of great interest to me.

    My primary role on the committee was to represent a resident’s viewpoint on residential district development and the impact a solar farm (array) would have in a residential zoned district. Ultimately a code was established that only roof top installations were permitted.

    Regarding this major solar farm project, from the information I have been privy to, the project meets all the Special Use Permit requirements. There is one requirement that is of concern - Section 50-41.18(7) Special Use Permits for major solar installations. The language reads:

    Decommissioning plan.

    To ensure the proper removal of large-scale solar energy systems, a decommissioning plan shall be submitted as part of the application. Compliance with this plan shall be made a condition of the issuance of a special use permit under this section. The decommissioning plan must specify that after the large-scale solar energy system can no longer be used, it shall be removed by the applicant or any subsequent owner. The plan shall demonstrate how the removal of all infrastructure and the remediation of soil and vegetation shall be conducted to return the parcel to its original state prior to construction. The plan shall also include an expected timeline for execution. A cost estimate detailing the projected cost of executing the decommissioning plan shall be prepared by a professional engineer or contractor. Cost estimations shall take into account inflation. Removal of large-scale solar energy systems must be completed in accordance with the decommissioning plan. If the large-scale solar energy system is not decommissioned after being considered abandoned, the municipality may remove the system and restore the property and impose a lien on the property to cover these costs to the municipality.

    I would recommend conditioning that a bond covering the decommission costs be executed – and bond amount adjusted to time-related inflationary increase.

    I appreciate the written concerns in your post. They should be submitted to the town board members and Town Attorney. for review and consideration. Mr. Lemaster’s comments regarding type of materials dumped at the site and groundwater impact also bear questioning.

    I especially appreciated Kevin Lemaster’s comments at Monday evening’s town board meeting regarding other project concerns. Supervisor Ruffino advised Lemaster that the resolution presented was just to set the public hearing for a special use permit, that he could bring up his concerns at the public hearing.

    Fortunately, that did not deter Lemaster from continuing and making know his research on the toxicity of the panels, the impact on the environment, the hazards of decommissioning the site and the elimination of the toxins. He advised the board to do some research as well. Project applicants have a way of shading the truth! It was Lemaster’s five minutes to use whichever way he wished if he stayed on resolution topic.

    As this will be the first major solar project in town, it is imperative all concerns are researched, reviewed, and answered by the applicant, and the town as well.

    Lastly, I can honestly say that we are fortunate to have a Code Enforcement Officer (Matt Fischione) who since appointed to the position has continuously enforced the codes as written and will not fail in doing so here

  4. #4
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    It was very nice to see that answers to many of the posed questions regarding this project were included in this week's communications.
    Starting on page 18 -
    https://lancasterny.gov/document-cen...8-21/file.html

    Georgia L Schlager

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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    It was very nice to see that answers to many of the posed questions regarding this project were included in this week's communications.
    Starting on page 18 -
    https://lancasterny.gov/document-cen...8-21/file.html

    Indeed. Great questions posed by councilmembers Wozniak and Leary.

    Were you convinced that the responses were noteworthy and/or reassuring?

    I felt some of the responses were deserving of further questioning and/or challenge.

  6. #6
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Chowaniec View Post

    I felt some of the responses were deserving of further questioning and/or challenge.
    Agree.
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; February 5th, 2021 at 10:12 PM.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

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