Resident urges commissioners to halt Tallgrass solar work until decommissioning and stormwater plans are finalized

Mike Worth, an Ellis County resident, urged the Board of County Commissioners to delay any construction related to the Tallgrass solar project until decommissioning, environmental-impact and stormwater-containment plans are finalized and publicly available. "Why did you vote on the CUP for Tallgrass before the decommission environmental impact and stormwater containment plans were approved?" Worth asked, saying local water-resource staff had not been informed and that runoff could reach municipal wells.

Commissioners and staff responded that the conditional-use permit (CUP) process includes benchmarks and bonding for decommissioning and that state and federal agencies control floodplain and stormwater engineering requirements. County Administrator Darren Myers said the CUP contains decommissioning requirements and a bond to secure removal; he also said permits and other agreements are still being finalized and will be made public when completed. "That that at least that's my standing on it," Myers said in response to Worth's question, adding that engineering and flood-plain issues fall under state and federal jurisdiction.

Worth told the commission he feared the county would be left with cleanup costs if the project operator failed to fully decommission the site, citing experience with abandoned oil infrastructure. Commissioners acknowledged the concern and said the CUP documents list conditions that, if not met, could lead to revocation, including bonding and required plans. County staff said they would follow up with higher-level state contacts and that the CUP and supporting documents were posted as part of the June 2 commission meeting packet.