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Salem supervisors discuss requiring decommissioning bonds for proposed solar farms
Summary
An inquiry about a potential solar farm prompted supervisors to flag decommissioning and bonding as primary concerns; the board discussed drafting an ordinance to require financial security and decommissioning timelines.
During new business, supervisors considered an inquiry from a prospective solar‑farm developer. Resident Tom Ridella argued in favor of property owners profiting from their land, saying, "if you have a chance to make thousands of dollars on your property you should be able to do so without local government interference."
Supervisor Kerry Jobe countered that the township's primary concern is the financial cost of removing damaged or abandoned solar arrays. Jobe said the board will discuss an ordinance "that would force the bonding and financial security to people that want to develop a solar farm." Solicitor Falatovich noted that panels and farms are frequently bought and sold and recommended developer agreement provisions to record ownership changes and require decommissioning if systems are out of service for a year, and raised concerns about potential soil toxicity from damaged panels.
No ordinance was adopted at the meeting; supervisors directed that the issue be further researched and drafted for future meetings.
