Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Safety Decommissioning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners flag fire risk, decommissioning and material hazards for BESS and solar projects
Summary
Commissioners asked the consultant to include vegetation management, fire mitigation, decommissioning standards and material‑type requirements in draft ordinances after members raised concerns about firefighting access and the toxicity of some panel materials.
Concerns about fire safety, vegetation management and decommissioning dominated a portion of the March 18 discussion as commissioners advised staff and the consultant to build stronger safeguards into ordinances for battery energy storage systems (BESS) and solar farms.
Commissioner David McKeirnan said he will "reach out to some of the other people in the state, the other fire chiefs and stuff," and urged inclusion of vegetation management and fire‑response clear zones because fences and equipment can impede firefighting access and allow small fires to spread. Rachel Granrath acknowledged the point and said the team would address clear zones for BESS and preventative fire measures.
Commissioner Dean Kinzer warned about panel materials, saying there are two common panel types and that "the other type is cadmium telluride solar panels, which has the cadmium in them, and cadmium is extremely toxic." Commissioners asked the consultant to research material differences, non‑reflective coatings and mitigation for storm or hail damage that could cause hazardous releases. Several members said decommissioning language in the county's wind ordinance represented the commission's best current work and should be carried forward and adapted for solar and BESS.
No regulatory changes were adopted at the meeting; staff and the consultant were directed to bring technical examples and recommended decommissioning, vegetation management, and fire‑safety language to future meetings.
