County tables road-use agreement with Samsung for battery facility on Parker Loop pending stronger indemnity language and training

Dimmit County commissioners on a motion carried Tuesday delayed approval of a road-use agreement with Samsung C&T Renewables after asking county legal staff to add explicit indemnity language, include protections for a cattle guard on county property and secure a training commitment for local fire and volunteer departments.

Samsung product developer Saul Stroud told the court the company expects to transport heavy equipment and battery containers to a proposed facility near Big Wells and that containers may weigh up to about 40 tons, with some cranes used in prior projects rated to 160 tons. Stroud said other counties have required companies to accept financial responsibility for road repairs when oversize or overweight loads damage county roads.

Commissioners and staff identified Parker Loop as the road likely to be used and noted a cattle guard near the access that is not owned by the county. County staff said additional contract language is needed to make clear the company — not the county — would be responsible for any repairs if equipment damages the cattle guard or other improvements that are privately owned but lie in the county right-of-way. Commissioners also pressed Samsung to confirm whether the planned operations would require bringing equipment onto county roads and asked for survey-level documentation showing exactly where access and turning areas would be located.

Safety concerns were raised during the discussion after commissioners and members of the public referenced recent fires at a nearby solar plant; a county speaker reported roughly six fires at that facility in the past month. Stroud said Samsung designs battery containers to meet applicable code and stated the company provides training to local emergency responders and can coordinate additional training for volunteer fire departments. He said Samsung follows international fire-code standards for battery containers and can help arrange hazmat sampling and remediation if batteries are involved in a fire.

After discussion, a motion was made to table action on the agreement until county counsel adds the requested language (including explicit cost responsibility for road repair and clarifying treatment of the cattle guard) and until Samsung supplies additional engineering and training commitments. The motion carried. County staff said they will draft the contract revisions, work with Samsung’s legal team and return the revised agreement to the court for placement on a future agenda.

The court did not adopt the proposed road-use contract at Tuesday’s meeting; commissioners said they want the legal protections and training commitments on the record before taking formal action.