Solar Farm project WILL impact Clarion River water quality

[Clarion River parking guy]

I don't know if this is the same solar farm project that Amazon is planning in McKean county (I hope it is, meaning I hope there are not going to be two sites) but whoever is building it, it will have some signif impact on the Clarion river.

One issue is more than usual soil runoff from the newly cut site into Smith Run, which flows in the East Branch of the Clarion. Later runoff will include construction chemicals (machinery lubricant, oil and diesel spills, etc),

Then, and maybe the most signif, when the solar farm is complete, it will require maintenance to keep vegetation from reclaiming the open area. How will they do this? I doubt they are going to hire people to cut the vegetation by hand. More likely they will use industrial strength herbicides.

Which could affect aquatic vegetation down river.

I hope none of this happens, yet I do not see where the question of how they will maintain the site has been asked by local Govt.
Let's all hope someone important enough HAS thought of this.

here is a photo of the land already cleared for this project >>



article here VVVV

McKean County solar project encompasses 681 acres - The Bradford Era

CLERMONT — In a southcentral portion of McKean County, 681 acres of Pennsylvania Wilds have been cut, chopped, sawed and scraped to the bare earth. This, in preparation for the installation of a massive solar project by Energix Renewables, the American subsidiary of a publicly traded Israeli...

www.bradfordera.com

 

[Oregon_OwlII]

I don't know if this is the same solar farm project that Amazon is planning in McKean county (I hope it is, meaning I hope there are not going to be two sites) but whoever is building it, it will have some signif impact on the Clarion river.

One issue is more than usual soil runoff from the newly cut site into Smith Run, which flows in the East Branch of the Clarion. Later runoff will include construction chemicals (machinery lubricant, oil and diesel spills, etc),

Then, and maybe the most signif, when the solar farm is complete, it will require maintenance to keep vegetation from reclaiming the open area. How will they do this? I doubt they are going to hire people to cut the vegetation by hand. More likely they will use industrial strength herbicides.

Which could affect aquatic vegetation down river.

I hope none of this happens, yet I do not see where the question of how they will maintain the site has been asked by local Govt.
Let's all hope someone important enough HAS thought of this.

here is a photo of the land already cleared for this project >> View attachment 1641245208



article here VVVV

McKean County solar project encompasses 681 acres - The Bradford Era

CLERMONT — In a southcentral portion of McKean County, 681 acres of Pennsylvania Wilds have been cut, chopped, sawed and scraped to the bare earth. This, in preparation for the installation of a massive solar project by Energix Renewables, the American subsidiary of a publicly traded Israeli...

www.bradfordera.com

Solar needs to go on rooftops before we start clearing land for it.

 

[Clarion River parking guy]

Solar needs to go on rooftops before we start clearing land for it.

i agree, though my biggest concern with this are the same as the news article as well as herbicide use on (possibly) and industrial scale

i just can't see a major corpo hiring people to go in and cut the vegetation a couple times a year- cheaper to use chems, that will flow into the Clarion

 

[nymphingmaniac]

I overlook the maintenance aspect. Same goes for windmills. But, fossil fuels aren't in endless supply. It might be 100 years or what they say, but not infinity.

Berkholder's market in Millheim PA (near Coburn) has solar panels that double as a covered parking area for the store. When I first saw that, I said, gees, what a great idea. No new disturbed land. Power the energy needs of the store (some, most-IDK). They even have an electric car charger attached. Bonus: your car stays cool in the summer and protected from ice/snow in the winter.

 

[DomR]

Solar needs to go on rooftops before we start clearing land for it.

good luck with that one. I've long argued that if this country was even remotely serious about solar being a real energy solution then every new building whether it be commercial, single family home, office complex, strip mall, or warehouse would be required to install solar as a provision of the building permit. Make them all be energy self sufficient.

 

[jifigz]

I overlook the maintenance aspect. Same goes for windmills. But, fossil fuels aren't in endless supply. It might be 100 years or what they say, but not infinity.

I am in no way defending fossil fuels as a longterm solution, but I bet given our technology these days and our increasing abilities to find resources within the earth that we could maintain fossil fuel consumption well past 100 years into our futures.

So far, I would say that there are zero sustainable solutions to meet our energy needs and conserving nature. I think solar has its place and will have its place in the future, but I don't think our current pathway forward with it is a perfect harmonious relationship between mankind's energy needs and our natural surroundings.

 

[jifigz]

And, just as an aside, I very much dislike seeing solar farms and solar panels. I am not hating on solar, but to see earth and nature turned into solar fields pains my soul.

 

[RLeep2]

The best outcome of course is the one that has the least adverse impact on the Clarion. I think though, that it is worth bearing in mind that it was largely fossil fuels (in this case coal) that didn't just impact the Clarion adversely, but killed it deader than Elvis. Now, the river is alive again and we have the luxury of worrying about lesser (but perhaps still significant) threats to the its well being.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

Solar panels are not the forever solution to energy needs by any stretch. Average service life is (still) 25-30 years and if those old panels don't wind up in a landfill (along with the broken-down wind turbines), they can't be refurbished and recycling all except the metal and glass on the frames has yet to become practical.

 

[dudemanspecial]

And, just as an aside, I very much dislike seeing solar farms and solar panels. I am not hating on solar, but to see earth and nature turned into solar fields pains my soul.

Where I live at one point you could turn in any direction and watch 3 different coal plants pumping exhaust into the atmosphere. Most homes here are built over strip mines and many have had foundation and well water issues. The Kiski River used to be orange and completely void of life.

Ill take solar fields and windmills any day over that crap again.

 

[CRB]

I don't know if this is the same solar farm project that Amazon is planning in McKean county (I hope it is, meaning I hope there are not going to be two sites) but whoever is building it, it will have some signif impact on the Clarion river.

One issue is more than usual soil runoff from the newly cut site into Smith Run, which flows in the East Branch of the Clarion. Later runoff will include construction chemicals (machinery lubricant, oil and diesel spills, etc),

Then, and maybe the most signif, when the solar farm is complete, it will require maintenance to keep vegetation from reclaiming the open area. How will they do this? I doubt they are going to hire people to cut the vegetation by hand. More likely they will use industrial strength herbicides.

Which could affect aquatic vegetation down river.

I hope none of this happens, yet I do not see where the question of how they will maintain the site has been asked by local Govt.
Let's all hope someone important enough HAS thought of this.

here is a photo of the land already cleared for this project >> View attachment 1641245208



article here VVVV

McKean County solar project encompasses 681 acres - The Bradford Era

CLERMONT — In a southcentral portion of McKean County, 681 acres of Pennsylvania Wilds have been cut, chopped, sawed and scraped to the bare earth. This, in preparation for the installation of a massive solar project by Energix Renewables, the American subsidiary of a publicly traded Israeli...

www.bradfordera.com

Unfortunately it may not be the corporation who decides to use herbicides to clear the brush but the maintenance workers who my feel it would be easier to use than to actually work clearing.

 

[JimKennedy]

Seems like people all like reliable electricity, but no one likes what makes it possible: coal from mining, gas from fracking, oil from drilling, atomic from the nuke plant, solar from panels and wind from turbines.

It’s not a question of the best. The solution is going to have to be the one that works for more than two to five generations and is the least bad.

If I left any opinions out, especially better ones, please add them to the mix.

Gotta go charge my phone now.

 

[Broodstock]

The irony in cutting down - clear cutting- forests full of trees to install solar is maddening. I don’t have the answers for how to produce enough clean electricity for our civilization but this surely can’t be the answer.

 

[BrookieChaser]

^^ I can't stand them putting solar panels on tillable ground.

 

[dudemanspecial]

The irony in cutting down - clear cutting- forests full of trees to install solar is maddening. I don’t have the answers for how to produce enough clean electricity for our civilization but this surely can’t be the answer.

We all know the answer......

 

[Broodstock]

We all know the answer......
View attachment 1641245267

Fission reactor technology might get there in our lifetime.

 

[dudemanspecial]

I remember watching a video years ago about how a conductor cutting through earth's magnetic field as it rotates could create a massive amount of power.....the problem was the logistics of it all. I wonder if anyone is working on that?