Citizens Against Richwood Solar, pictured here in green t-shirts, were among the visitors to North Union High School last week for a public solar meeting. The citizen-led solar opposition group was among the county residents at the school for two public information sessions dealing with the Samsung Richwood solar project.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Michael Williamson)
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While much of the first public information meeting on the Richwood solar project was more of the same, it was an opportunity for residents to talk with officials not typically present for other public meetings on solar.
Residents, county officials and solar representatives gathered at North Union High School last week for the first of two public sessions planned to inform residents about the Samsung Richwood solar project.
Though Samsung won’t send the official application in until December, the project is a proposed solar facility that spans nearly 1,600 acres across Claibourne, Leesburg and Taylor townships.
Among the officials present at the meeting were representatives from the Ohio Power Siting Board, the group that reviews applications for the construction of such facilities.
Matt Butler, the board’s public information officer, joined other representatives at a table offering information about the board’s role and process.
He said, throughout the evening, the table had a steady flow of residents with questions, as OPSB members haven’t been to a meeting in nearly a year.
“I think the biggest question we hear is how can people get involved,” he said. “Coming to these meetings is a good place to start but residents can also submit comments to us on a particular project.”
While citizens can file informal comments early on, they can also participate in the review process by testifying at a public hearing, after the application has been submitted.
“After the OPSB staff makes its recommendation, a formal public hearing is held,” according to information on the website. “At this hearing, hosted by the OPSB, members of the public provide sworn testimony that becomes part of the case record considered by the board.”
Public hearings allow the board to “gather sworn statements concerning the application from members of the public,” according the OPSB. The hearings then provide information about community reaction to the proposed application. Additionally, that information becomes part of the case documents in the official record that the board considers before making its decision.
Butler said another question the board receives is how oversight works once a project moves forward. He said residents might not be aware that the OPSB has dedicated people that check in on projects.
“We have three guys who look over all projects across the state. They’re out on a pretty regular basis,” he said. “A lot of review is complaint-driven so we have guys who check on that regularly.”
He said people should direct questions to contact OPSB@puco.ohio.gov or at 866-270-OPSB (6772).
New to the meeting was the appearance of a recently formed citizens group that has organized in opposition to solar development. The group had their first, public outing Wednesday evening.
Citizens Against Richwood Solar (CARS) is a resident group of activists that handed out fliers and informational literature during the session. The group has also sent out nearly 3,700 mailers to residents in the county, urging them to attend meetings.
Keith Engle, a member of CARS and an adjoining property owner to the Richwood project who has been present for much of the solar discussion, said the county is oversaturated with solar.
“Ideally, we’d like to see all future solar developments in Union County stopped,” he said.
The county currently has some 8,200 acres of projects, he added, and approval of the Richwood project would push that number over 10,000 acres.
“We’re not opposed to solar – just opposed to solar on farm ground,” Engle said.
He said the group considers the issue of “no farms, no food” a prime concern as well as tile, drainage and issues of aesthetics.
Engle said he and the group also have serious doubts about the long-term economic benefits. While the project boasts more than $93 million in revenue over the next 40 years that would bring more than $50 million to the Marysville and North Union school districts, CARS members say that relief won’t last forever.
“Samsung promises millions of dollars in tax revenue, but when this is decommissioned that is going to come back to the local tax payers to provide,” according to an informational paper from CARS. “When a project is decommissioned, what happens to the tax budget after decommissioning?”
Engle said CARS members would be at the next public information meeting on Nov. 8, which will also be held at NUHS and also run from 6-8 p.m.