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Resident raises traffic and well-water concerns related to local solar project; county staff to follow up
Summary
A Greentown resident told commissioners that heavy vehicles for a nearby solar project are driving over the centerline and that black flakes have appeared in his well water since pile driving began; staff directed the resident to county project staff for follow-up and to preserve evidence.
During public comment at the Howard County Commissioners meeting, resident Rick Carson of Greentown raised safety and water-quality concerns tied to a nearby solar project.
Carson said heavy contractor traffic on local roads had created safety hazards; he described an incident in which a vehicle nearly struck his vehicle and quoted a contractor telling him, "you need to be treating our vehicles like emergency vehicles. We have full right away at all time." Carson asked whether project vehicles have emergency-vehicle status; a commissioner replied, "They would not have emergency vehicle status. No." The board directed Carson to the county complaint process and asked him to provide a photo he mentioned showing a dump truck crossing the center line.
Carson also said he recently replaced his well pump and filter after buying the property in February 2017 and that, since pile driving for the solar project started a couple of weeks earlier, his water filter captured "little black flakes" he described as "very hard flakes." He asked whom to contact about possible contamination. County staff at the meeting told him to keep the filter and the photos and to speak with county staff and the project manager before leaving; a staff member said they would get him an answer.
No county action was taken at the meeting on the solar project; staff agreed to provide the resident with the complaint process and to have project staff follow up.
