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Board raises care and disposal concerns for solar panels and battery storage
Summary
Charlton Board of Health members discussed long-term disposal, potential contamination and decommissioning costs for large solar farms and battery systems, urged departmental review and recommended financial assurance planning ahead of equipment end-of-life.
Board members at the Town of Charlton Board of Health meeting on March 10 discussed growing concerns about the long-term disposal of utility-scale solar panels and associated battery storage systems and the potential for hazardous materials to require special handling.
A board member said a planning-board colleague had raised questions about substances found in some solar components (referred to in the transcript as “PAS”) and asked department heads to review disposal and storage practices. The speaker said the town is voluntarily testing panels and related materials while noting the state has not provided clear regulatory guidance for end-of-life disposal. “We voluntarily are testing for PAS and I don't think they're moving too quick on adding that to the VOCC's,” the board member said, using terminology from the meeting record.
The board discussed battery storage concerns, including the risk that batteries could leach hazardous materials if damaged. Members said some developers are storing batteries and panels in containers on site for reuse while others, particularly damaged units, have at times been sent to dumpsters or landfills. “I've literally seen thousands of brand spanking new panels going to the dump,” one board member said, describing field observations of surplus or damaged panels being discarded.
Members urged earlier planning for decommissioning costs so towns are not left with contaminated materials or unaffordable cleanup bills decades after installation. One participant described a financial assurance mechanism — a bond or insurance set aside at project start — that would fund decommissioning 20–25 years later: “If you want to build a solar farm, you have to take x amount of dollars, put it in the kitty, so in 20 years, 25 years when decommission time comes, there's enough funding available,” the speaker said.
Staff told the board that the assistant town planner (Jane, as referenced in the meeting) and other department heads will meet to develop guidance and that a further discussion with elected and appointed officials is planned this week to gather information on existing policies and insurance practices. The board agreed to keep tracking the issue and to request any additional technical data members can find on contaminants and disposal pathways.
Why it matters: Without clearer state or federal rules, towns may face responsibility for managing discarded solar panels and batteries. Board members said early financial-assurance planning and clearer disposal protocols could reduce long-term liability and environmental risk.
The board did not take any formal regulatory action during the meeting; members asked staff to report back after the planning-board discussion and any department-head review.
