~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
The Greene County board of supervisors again reprimanded National Grid Renewables during the meeting on Sept. 19 as NGR continued to insist smaller setback distances be written into the new zoning ordinance for utility-level solar energy projects.
NGR representatives Marta Lasch and Tom Karas recommended yet another reduction of the setback distances from property lines, dwellings, and buildings. Their recommendation was from 600 feet to 150 feet.
Supervisor Mick Burkett said, “We’ve compromised a lot already.”
“We’re not going to budge on 600 feet (setback) from dwellings,” chair John Muir said.
“This (the 150 foot setback) would be in line with other counties’ solar ordinances,” Lasch countered. “It would contribute to better use of the land.”
“I imagine myself looking out my window (at a solar project,)” supervisor Dawn Rudolph said. “I’m standing firm on dwelling set-backs.”
“You’re basically telling us what to do,” supervisor Tom Contner said.
“We’ve listened to (NGR) requests only in the interest of gaining information,” Muir said, “The State is not stepping in (with guidance on zoning ordinances for solar energy.)”
Lasch and Karas commented on the most recent draft of the zoning ordinance and presented articles they cited last week giving information about the board’s concerns for glare from the solar panels and the effect of electromagnetic frequencies on health.
Lasch said the articles conclude there is no health risk from solar projects.
Rudolph noted the articles presented to the board were from New Zealand and were 5 to 10 years old.
Lasch and Karas also presented “renderings” rather than photographs of a utility level solar project in Minnesota. This project was mentioned by the public at a previous meeting and had been described as “solar panel hell.”
NGR again brought up the 1000 acre cap on solar projects, wanting to re-work points previously discussed in prior board meetings.
Zoning department head Chuck Wenthold said Scott County and Adair County have adopted the 1000 acre cap.
“Some (counties) have (adopted it) and some haven’t,” Lasch countered. “People can choose to live (near a solar farm) or choose to leave.”
“We are looking out for (Greene County,)” Rudolph said.
Muir said he has received “lots of calls” about NGR not returning calls from county residents who want information.
Lasch apologized and blamed an employee who has been on maternity leave.
NGR’s emergency plan was discussed and Karas said, “Response time (to an emergency) would be within a couple of hours.”
County attorney Thomas Laehn suggested looking at “all the ordinances” at the next meeting.
“Applicants can request adjustments (to specific setbacks),” he said. “Setback distances are beginning parameters.”
“This (NGR) input doesn’t mean anything except for educating us,” Muir said. “We’re only discussing this with NGR because they’re here at the time we’re doing this.”
NGR has been reminded by the board at each board meeting that they are not to try to negotiate with the board over zoning ordinances setting limits in Greene County. Their role is to simply present factual information.
However, NGR has proposed a solar farm south of Grand Junction and has mapped land they want to acquire. Landowner Teresa Hoyle stated she had believed land around her acreage had been removed from the NGR plan but now has been told it is back in the plan.
The board asked the NGR representatives for maps of their proposed project to be presented at the next meeting.
Due to another draft of the zoning ordinance to be presented at the next meeting, the setting of a date for a public hearing of the recodification of all county ordinances was tabled.
In other business, the board heard from Paul Phillips and Riley Gibson, representatives of Summit Carbon Solutions, about the proposed carbon pipeline project running through ten miles of the northeast part of Greene County.
The proposed carbon pipeline will connect 32 ethanol plants in five states, collect the carbon dioxide by-product of the process, and transport it to North Dakota to be permanently sealed underground.
Phillips and Gibson reported 78.8 percent of the easements needed in Greene County have been acquired. They reported easements in the rest of the State stand at 50 percent.
Phillips denied SCS has a plan or a “path” to use eminent domain to acquire easements.
The board asked for more information about the process in North Dakota.
Phillips and Gibson said the carbon dioxide is compressed into a liquid state and added to saltwater. It then attaches permanently to “underground structures.”
“It’s not used for fracking?” Muir asked.
“No,” Phillips said. “It can’t be sold, either.”
The board asked if ethanol plants are forced into participating in the pipeline. Phillips said they were not.
“The project is funded by investors,” he said.
The board asked if ethanol plants could capture their own carbon dioxide. Phillips said ethanol plants “pull out food grade carbon dioxide” and the unusable carbon dioxide is what is “permanently stored.”
Rick Morain asked if the permanent storage was an actual legal requirement. Phillips and Gibson said they would check.
“The benefit to ethanol plants is that it lowers their carbon scores and allows them to compete for corn production,” said Gibson.
Gibson reported Carbon Summit has begun coordinating with the county engineer’s office in the permitting process.
“His (Wade Weiss) vetting will be thorough,” Muir said.
The board unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance amending the ordinance that established a temporary moratorium on utility-level solar projects. The new ordinance proposes the moratorium will be extended until noon on Oct. 24, or to the date when final ordinances pertaining to solar projects are adopted, whichever comes first.
The board then voted to waive the third reading of the proposed moratorium date and they unanimously adopted the amended ordinance.
County attorney Thomas Laehn presented a survey to the board from the Iowa State Association of County Supervisors (ISACS) asking for information abut whether the board thinks the Supervisor Association should “petition the Iowa Utility Board to intervene in the dockets for the applications to permit proposed hazardous liquid pipelines by Summit Carbon Solutions, Navigator CO2 Ventures, and Wolf Carbon Solutions.”
Laehn said there could be legal costs of intervention by the Supervisor Association and the costs would be shared among the counties.
Laehn said the survey is for individual board members, but one question is to be completed by the board as a whole.
That question is: How likely is the board of supervisors (Greene County) to approve expenditures of funds for the costs of intervention with the IUB?
The board noted there was no information given about cost estimates for an intervention and no information about the position taken by ISACS if such an intervention were taken.
The board chose to submit a group “Undecided” response to the group question on the survey.
Laehn also reported he has 70 criminal cases pending in the county and also will be briefly filling in by telephone for the Guthrie County attorney.
Supervisor John Muir reported he, drainage clerk Michelle Fields, and landowner Steve Bortz discussed a drainage problem which will be further investigated after harvest.
Engineer Wade Weiss reported the retirement of secondary roads employee Jay Tasler, after 28 years of service. Weiss noted Tasler will be missed.
Weiss updated the board on temporary exterior lighting suggested by Chris Durlam, Durlam Electric, for the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower and invited them to view the lighting on Oct. 11.
He also reported the controller for bell music has been reprogrammed by the Verdin Company of Cincinnati, OH, and is expected back soon.
Weiss described plans to purchase a maintainer for the secondary roads department at a cost of $446,022. He said new orders are taking a year to fill. Weiss described the replacement schedules, mileage, hours, and condition of county equipment.
