Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Solar topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Eastover residents urge Richland County to halt industrial solar farms, cite lack of notice and flood and habitat concerns
Summary
A group of Eastover residents told Richland County Council during public comment on July 14 that recent and proposed large-scale solar projects — totaling residents' estimates of roughly 1,200 acres and more — were sited without local notice and threaten wildlife, watershed runoff and community character. They asked the county to require public notice or zoning review for industrial solar on agricultural land.
Dozens of Eastover residents used the council public-comment period at the Richland County special-call meeting on July 14 to press county leaders to pause approvals of large industrial solar projects and change county rules so such projects receive public notice.
"I don't see how Richland County is benefiting from these projects," said Rhett Cully, who told the council he owns eight acres abutting two recently approved farms and described one as a 500-acre project next to a 700-acre project. "They destroy wildlife habitat that you can't replace. All the contractors came from out of state. It created zero jobs in Richland County," he said.
Other speakers gave similar accounts and offered specific figures. Jill Lewis said her community tally comes to about 1,200 acres of land that has been or stands to be taken for large solar developments, including a 740-acre field on Van Bokland/Van Brooklyn Road and another 462 acres she said were approved last year. "We have created a petition that we will present to you... to stop the addition of any more solar farms in Eastover," Lewis told the council.
Jason Carter, a longtime farmer, warned of flood and watershed consequences. "Putting in any more solar farms ... would increase the watershed in these areas," he said, referring to the Toms Creek watershed and downstream Congaree National Park. Carter cited the 2015 flood — which he said produced about 21 inches of rain in 24 hours — to underline his concern that retention ponds on industrial solar sites are not designed for extreme events.
Residents also raised health, notice and equity concerns. Bernice G. Scott said "we don't know what kind of effect [the projects] have on our bodies" and urged council to "pull this back" and adopt an ordinance requiring notice and community hearings. James Favor, mayor of Eastover, said he had not seen promised local employment materialize from earlier projects and asked the county to pause future approvals to allow public input.
Several speakers argued the current land-plan path allows industrial-scale solar to go forward on agricultural-zoned parcels without the public-notice requirements of a zoning change. "I think what everybody needs is some boundaries," Lisa Prem said, urging the council to treat large solar as industrial or utility development that requires a public process.
Council did not respond during the comment period — the chair reminded speakers that council does not engage while public comment is underway — but said staff would collect the comments and follow up outside the meeting. No ordinance or formal county action on solar siting was taken at the meeting.
Why this matters: Public commenters contend that large-scale solar, as currently permitted in agricultural land-plan paths, can be installed without direct notice to nearby residents and may produce local impacts (visual, habitat loss, runoff and perceived health effects) that the community wants considered. Residents asked council to require public notice or a zoning review for such projects and to prioritize alternative siting (rooftops, parking lots, agrivoltaics) where feasible.
What happens next: The chair said comments would be recorded and conveyed to staff for follow-up and that the county will gather responses. Council made no immediate policy change during the July 14 meeting; any regulatory changes would require staff study and a formal council process.
