Massachusetts AG Sues Solar Farm Developer For Pollution

State Sues Solar Farm Developer For Pollution

On April 28, 2020, the Massachusetts Attorney General filed a lawsuit against a Solar Farm Developer alleging “irreparable harm” caused by the polluting of a River and damage to protected wetlands.

The lawsuit claims the solar developer violated Federal and State water protection laws during the construction of an 18.5 acre solar farm.

Stormwater pollution is regulated under a variety of federal Clean Water Act permits and is recognized as the largest threat to water quality. By not having the legally required storm-water controls, the construction caused “sediment-laden storm-water to erode the hillside, effecting perennial and intermittent streams, uprooting trees and covering more then an acre of new sediment pollution in the river, thus causing irreparable damage to the river.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, sediment pollution is the “MOST” significant way water quality in streams and rivers is degraded and this lawsuit claims the food chain for various fish has been damaged by killing organisms on which certain fish depend on.

The director of the project development, told town officials that the soil was good for avoiding runoff and that no trees would have to be cut to make way for the solar arrays.

However, some time later, once the construction had already started, minutes from a local Conservation Commission meeting acknowledged the area for the solar project needed to be graded. At that point, an engineering plan for a terraced approach was proposed.

Around 6 months later, a local resident presented a photo to the Conservation Commission, showing some of the damage caused by the storm drainwater and informed the commission that some of the ditches had reached a depth of 20 feet and contained full grown trees.

This is another example of individuals, companies and even “some” elected officials, seem to care more about the money they can make by supporting the “Green energy movement” then actually protecting the land, water, homes, nature and wildlife they are destroying.

For more information, click the Massachusetts Government Website and/or Local News Reports