Residents raise safety, environmental and visual concerns at Anchor Solar hearing

Residents at the planning-board meeting and a written commenter read into the record raised multiple concerns about the proposed Anchor Solar array’s effects on the rural landscape, wildlife, fire risk and long-term disposal of panels.

Doreen O'Sullivan read a letter into the record expressing worry that arrays could alter surface temperatures, affect insects and birds, and leave toxic materials when panels are spent. "Industry standards for lifespan is 25 to 30 years," the letter noted; O'Sullivan also asked who would benefit from the electricity if the project interconnects to a utility other than the local co-op. Rick Energy officials responded that the industry-standard TCLP (toxicity characteristic leaching procedure) supports that panels do not leach hazardous substances under reasonably foreseeable conditions and that the company submitted a decommissioning plan and a bond (applicant stated a 150% engineer estimate) to guarantee removal and site restoration if needed.

Other residents asked about noise from inverters and transformers, access for farm equipment across the proposed driveway and whether utility pole lineups might be visually intrusive. The applicant said a noise study had been submitted and described typical inverter-source decibel levels (about 60 dB at source) and that, once measured at typical distances and with vegetation, sound levels would be low. The board asked the applicant for additional visual simulations, leaf-off photos and engineering responses; the record remains open pending those materials and the scheduled public site visit.