To the Editor:
Marion’s Selectmen need to redirect the Energy Management Committee’s proposed community solar garden from the Landfill to County Road.
It’s now time for the Selectmen to announce the environmentally sensitive capped landfill is sacred and hallowed ground and cannot be touched by the Energy Management Committee for a community solar garden.
The announcement in the local press of the development of a private solar garden off County Road should be positive news for the Energy Management Committee. Now there is an opportunity for those individuals who want to pursue a solar garden agenda to do so on private land with private investment. This is where such a project should have been developed from its inception. The site is located on environmentally benign undeveloped private land. Marion taxpayers will no longer be needed to underwrite the self-insured contingent environmental liabilities of the solar site on the landfill.
Using the Town landfill has never been a good option from a liability, public policy or cost stand point. Let the landfill rest in peaceful repose free of risk from cap damage, potential environmental release and exposure for costly damage, cleanup and repair.
A 5.5 percent capitalized lease valuation of the proposed landfill solar project nets the Town only $137,279.This is the value for the developer’s proposed twenty-year lease net of estimated Town costs. This is not a material value for the Town when compared to contingent liability exposure.
Without a significant indemnification posted by the developer taxpayers are the deep pockets of last resort to pay these costs.
The probability of obtaining an appropriate environmental indemnification from a developer is remote. A developer will not assume environmental deal risk. Requiring adequate developer indemnification would be a deal breaker. The EMC will be conflicted over very important coverage to protect the Town and is unlikely to walk away from this deal even if it’s in the best interest of the Town to do so. Simply, the EMC wants this deal even if it’s not a good one for our Town.
Social policy too needs consideration. The EMC touts the virtues of a community solar garden having the similarities of a community vegetable garden; broad based and open to all residents of all income levels. “Solar Garden Sun Shares” are going to be offered by the developer at $5,000 each. Participation will be limited. The average Marion home owner will not have access to this project, but as a taxpayer will have to back the landfill’s contingent environmental obligations.
There are no carve outs or set-a-sides for low income housing or for retirees on fixed incomes. A true community solar garden would address these social issues. This is hardly using a Town asset for broad based community benefit.
Solar gardens should be privately financed and sited on private land. This is now being done off County Road by private interests. It’s time the Selectmen move this project off the capped landfill and direct its destination down County Road where it belongs.
Ted North, Marion
The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.