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Residents raise safety and environmental concerns about Crossvine solar and battery storage
Summary
During public comment, residents and a Holland town board member urged the commissioners to scrutinize the Crossvine solar park and adjacent battery energy storage systems (BESS), citing runoff, plume study adequacy, number/proximity of batteries and potential environmental risks; IDEM has been on site reviewing parts of the project.
Several residents used the public‑comment portion of the July 20 meeting to register safety and environmental concerns tied to the Crossvine solar park and its associated battery energy storage system (BESS). Jacey Lamb said the board is not enforcing oversight over the Crossvine project, and business owner Cheyenne Tempel told commissioners she fears children in the Holland area could be exposed to environmental hazards from the BESS and urged the board to reconsider approvals for the Solar Park and BESS.
Lisa Matthews, a homeowner near the Crossvine site, said she had observed water runoff from the drive entrances and presented photos; Highway Engineer Levi Leffert reported the Highway Department is addressing the runoff issues. Dave Duncan and another resident said a plume study was inadequate in their view. Holland Town Board member John Kaltenbacher thanked the commissioners for approving the Veteran Services Officer change and said he remained concerned about the number of batteries on site and their proximity; the minutes note that Commissioner Blessinger reported the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has been on site and reviewing the matter.
