submitted by Dean McKenzie
Member, Marcellus Wellhead Protection Committee
On July 24, 2024 at a joint public hearing of the Marcellus Township Board and the Marcellus Planning Committee, it was unanimously voted to approve an application for the construction of a large Solar Field in Marcellus Township. At this hearing, many in attendance had questions concerning the effect that this project would have on property values and what effect this project would have on the potential contamination of the public water supply system of the Village of Marcellus. As a new member of the Marcellus Wellhead Protection Team, I would like to give my opinion of the potential contamination of Marcellus, Michigan’s, Wellhead water supply.
As mentioned above, there are individuals in the community and some members of the Wellhead Protection Team who have concerns about the installation and the potential water contamination from solar panels installed on land which is determined to be part of the Marcellus wellhead groundwater. This concern has been brought to the attention by a member of the Marcellus Wellhead committee to both the Township board and Planning Commission several times at their various meetings. At two of the meetings, a Representative of the solar company attending the meetings explained that the solar panels that are in the proposed plan do not contain any hazardous chemicals that would cause contamination to the soil of which they are to be installed upon. Also, information concerning the construction of such panels was sent to at least one member of the Wellhead Protection team providing more information about the use of solar panels. At this joint meeting on July 24, a representative from the solar company mentioned that because of the type of materials used in the panels proposed there. would be NO potential for groundwater contamination.
Now as a new member of this Wellhead team, I find it questionable as to why this solar project presents such a concern about water contamination when I, as a farmer, have applied chemicals and fertilizers to this same ground for over the past 40 years and have never once been approached by a member of the Wellhead protection team since its inception in 2006 for a review of any potential water contamination. Are there other motives for this concern about solar panels? Have the other 10 areas of concern for water contamination in the wellhead water supply noted on the Wellhead Protection “areas of concern map” been contacted by a member of the Wellhead Protection team for a review of their practices for water protection? If not, then why single out this solar project? Did some individuals just want to try and limit solar construction in an area for personal preference?
The areas of concern for water contamination listed on the current Village of Marcellus wellhead protection area map includes farm land, industrial sites, school property, lagoons, livestock buildings and private businesses. What it doesn’t include is gas stations, highways, and the railroad, all of which provide opportunities for contamination to the Wellhead water supply.
My main concern as a member of the Marcellus Wellhead protection team is that the railroad, when measured on Google Maps, is within 100 feet of the wellhead of the Village of Marcellus, and that the railroad ties may carry toxic chemicals along with the train itself. And trains do derail at times. Also, it is a known fact that the railroad ties used by a railroad contain chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic, hydrocarbons, phenol, and cresols. The EPA has classified creosote as a probable human carcinogen. These chemicals can leach into nearby soils. It is stated in a web site known as traintrackshg.com that, “The leaching of creosote chemicals from railroad ties can result in significant soil and water contamination. The chemicals can persist in the environment for a long time, posing a threat to both human and ecological health”. Why is this not listed as a potential risk for contamination on the Village of Marcellus Village wellhead protection area map along with gas stations and highways, where all could be potential contaminants? Has there been a spillage contingency plan requested by the Wellhead Protection team for these risk sites such as the spillage contingency plan requested for the solar site?
I, as a resident and farmer of Marcellus community, have always been conscious of the surrounding area and its natural resources. As mentioned earlier, farmers do apply fertilizers and chemicals that can leach into nearby streams. Some of the chemicals are considered hazardous. Our family takes pride in our farming practices by adhering to strict EPA guidelines on the placement of these elements. We are certified to apply the fertilizer and hazardous chemicals at the rates listed on the containers and must be re-certified every 3 years to remain compliant. All hazardous and non-hazardous containers handled by our farm are triple rinsed with water and sent out for recycling. Our fertilizer and chemical handling and loading area is covered from the weather elements and diked for any overspill that may occur.
As farmers till the soil, runoff from torrential rains can and does occur. If one were to look on Google Earth where the main rivers dump into the Great Lakes, one would see a color difference between the river outlet and the lakes. The rivers are a very distinct dark color compared to the lighter blue color of the lakes. This darkness in the rivers is due to the run off from land adjoining the river. Granted, not all sediment leached into a river is caused by farmers, other factors such as highways, parking lots, residential driveways, etc., contribute to this pollution.
On our farm, we have worked very hard to minimize any run off or erosion by strip-tilling the soil verses whole field tilling. By this I mean instead of completely covering all residue by a disk or plow, we just till a strip leaving 50% of the residue on top of the soil minimizing any run off and pollution. However better, this method does not completely prevent all run off.
Why am I saying all of this? Getting back to the original topic. A solar farm such as the one proposed here in Marcellus Township, in my opinion, will create less of a concern for pollution than what farming the same soil would create. Solar panels such as the ones proposed to be used in our project and described by professionals do not contain hazardous chemicals that can contaminate the soil. Fertilizers and chemicals used by farmers in rare situations can contaminate the soil and pollute nearby ponds, streams and rivers. As the solar farm is constructed, natural grass and legumes will be planted and maintained eliminating the run off of the soil going into nearby ponds, streams and rivers verses the run off mentioned earlier by tilling the soil. When established, this green habitat will provide more area for small animals and insects such as bees and butterflies and not to forget earthworms which have been lessened by the use of pesticides in farming. Solar farms rarely use a herbicide except for unwanted tree saplings that cannot be controlled by mowing.
Further, Solar has been around since the 1970’s. A great deal of improvement has been made to the panels since then. If the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Natural Resources and the Conservation Department has no objection to their existence, they must be safe for the environment. Why even the DNR and the Amish are installing these solar panels on their roofs and lawns.
So, you as a reader of this article can decide and form your own opinion on which you think is better for the soil and the underlying water supply here in the Village of Marcellus. To me it is clear. For the benefit of the environment, a solar farm is much more environmentally friendly than the current use of the proposed solar land which is now crop land.
I hope in writing this article it will help unite this community and develop it into a prosperous one that we can be proud of.
Respectfully Submitted,
The Dean McKenzie Family
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