A large crowd filled the Benjamin Logan High School auditorium Tuesday night and approximately 40 individuals spoke at the public hearing hosted by the Logan County Commissioners to evaluate the potential impacts of large-scale solar or wind developments in the county.
Township trustees from nearly all of the townships in the county were in attendance and many of them provided public comment, along with other county residents, weighing in on a proposed resolution being considered by the Board of Commissioners.
The resolution would designate 16 of the 17 townships (not including Miami Township) as restricted areas, prohibiting the construction of any economically significant wind farms, large wind farms or large solar facilities throughout the unincorporated areas of Logan County.
The 16 township trustee boards previously requested this restriction, Logan County Commission President Joe Antram reported last week.
This resolution is being considered in light of Senate Bill 52, which was passed by Ohio legislators last year. That bill now provides more local control over this type of large-scale wind and solar projects.
At the beginning of the hearing, Antram noted that the board would not be voting on the resolution Tuesday evening. Instead, it was a time for public comment from anyone who signed up to speak so that the commissioners could “hear the concerns of the constituents.”
Wednesday morning after the session, Antram noted that this hearing helped to fulfill the requirements of SB 52.
“I believe that the people appreciated our efforts to conduct a well-organized hearing on this issue,” he said. “Now we have to decide whether and when to act.”
While the majority of the speakers were in favor of this resolution and these restrictions barring projects for much of the county, approximately eight or nine individuals spoke up as opposed to this measure, including some who encouraged the commissioners not to approve such widespread restriction, but to evaluate these type of industrial wind and solar project on an individual basis.
“There’s good solar projects, and bad solar projects,” resident Susan Seeley said. “Let each one come to a vote by the commissioners. “
“Avoid making a resolution that might tie our hands in the future,” another individual said, calling an outright ban “short-sighted.”
West Liberty area resident Karla Kauffman noted while she understood concerns from area farmers and her friends and neighbors against the industrial solar projects, she feels like it’s a necessary bridge to the future. She noted that she wouldn’t mind living by this type of solar facility out of the country, where farm fields currently surround her home.
“I think industrial solar might not be perfect, but it’s one of the ways we can move into the future with some hope.”
Many other speakers noted that natural beauty of Logan County would be damaged by these types of industrial scale projects, along with disruptions to animal habitats and waterways, and could potentially cause drainage issues for local farmers as well.
DeGraff area farmer Steve Schlumbohm said “our farmland is our natural treasure.”
“Funds paid to farmers not to farm their land; it’s a distortion of the free market,” he said. “These projects are pitting farmer against farmer, family members against family members and neighbors against neighbors.”
Schlumbohm raised concerns regarding the distribution of the farmland at a time of a “global food crisis.”
“We shouldn’t be replacing valuable farmland with solar panels.”
Similarly, Bob Stoll, president of the Logan County Land Trust, cited the prime growing soil of the Western half of Ohio, including in Logan County, and noted that this soil is a precious commodity that impacts the food supply.
“We need to look at our soils in Ohio as a finite resource,” he said. “I’m a supporter of alternate energy, but not at the cost of these farmlands.”
West Mansfield area resident and farmer Melissa Rice also noted that the number one barrier to new farmers is the availability of land. She related that these large scale utility facilities will make the land even more scarce.
She said she used to be in favor of utility solar back in 2018, but has more recently changed her mind.
“The more I find out about it, I’m against how they operate,” she said. “It’s not about saving the earth through green energy. It’s about large corporations from far away controlling what goes on our land and making large amounts of money.”
Union Township trustee Douglas Kauffman also asked what happens to the solar panels at the end of the solar project, which is projected at approximately 40 years. He and others noted their concerns that some components of the solar panels are not recyclable and will end up in landfills.
Ed Parmer and others brought up the issue of land owner rights for these types of projects, with some arguing it’s not a personal property issue since it could affect many others, while others disagreed.
“Land owner rights should allow them to contract with a large company if they want to,” Parmer said.
Bokescreek Township resident Don Hayes also discussed the monies from the solar or wind companies that could potentially benefit Logan County, including the local school districts.