Residents urge scrutiny of proposed large solar and battery project on state trust land

Several residents used the public‑comment period at the May 6 meeting to urge the council and residents to scrutinize proposed large solar and battery projects on nearby state trust land.

Donna Carr said a California‑based company (identified at the public meeting as Silver King Solar and Arvia Power in different materials) is pursuing use of thousands of acres of state trust land for solar with battery storage. She told the council she is opposed and raised multiple concerns, including impacts to birds and bats, heat effects and the risk that leaking batteries could contaminate the aquifer.

“California based solar company wants to use 9,000 acres of state trust land to put in a solar company with battery storage,” Carr said. She added that batteries pose recycling and leakage risks and said, “if any of their batteries happen to leak, it will contaminate the water all the way down to Tucson.” Carr also cited local skydivers’ observations that solar fields can produce localized heat effects.

Staff and the council did not take action on the matter at this meeting. Carr said the project has not yet been scheduled on the Pinal County agenda but will go before a Pinal County zoning hearing; she urged residents to attend that hearing.

Kathleen Mink also spoke during public comment to thank staff and volunteers for community activities and encouraged continued civic involvement; her remarks were general and supportive rather than focused on a single project.

The comments were part of the meeting’s public‑comment time; no council directive or staff action on the solar project was recorded during the meeting.