A resident handed me this flyer while I was door-knocking in the Birdland neighborhood of Horseheads yesterday. This is not before the Chemung County Legislature, but what I keep telling residents is that you should know what the government is going to do before it does it. So, I am sharing this here.
This group is raising serious concerns to the Town of Veteran Planning Board and offering reasonable solutions. I have not had a chance to do a deep dive into this, but so far the facts check out. I think the residents should know about this issue.
I support solar power, and we have solar panels for our house. In general, solar power is safe and has become more and more affordable. But any company building a project of this type needs to account for the environmental impact. The residents are not saying "No" to solar power. They are saying the installation of the panels in this location could damage the aquifer supplying household wells and create a dangerous water runoff into their neighborhood. Reasonable measures to protect the surrounding neighborhoods must be followed.
Here's the link to the solar power project application:
https://townofveteranny.gov/active-applications/
The text of the handout follows below. I added some links to relevant news stories.
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A PACK THE TOWN HALL: STOP THE VETERAN HILL SOLAR PROJECT VARIANCE!
MEETING DETAILS: Monday, October 5th at 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Veteran Town Hall (4049 Watkins Road, Millport, NY 14864)
Dynamic Energy LLC (operating as Wedge Solar, LLC) is proposing a 30-acre commercial solar project directly above our neighborhood on Veteran Hill (Tax Map IDs 39.00-1-14.1 and 39.00-1-14.2). They are petitioning the Planning Board for a financial variance to bypass Local Law #1 of 2026 so they can avoid setting up the mandated 100% liquid cash escrow account for cleaning up the site. They are pushing this through fast, so we must speak up now or accept the consequences.
If you cannot attend the meeting in person, you must voice your opposition by immediately emailing the Planning Board Chairman, Dave Adams, at:
planning.board.chair@townofveteranny.gov
THE IMPACT ZONE: OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
* Extreme Topography: The project sits at an elevation of 1,350 feet a massive 450-foot vertical drop directly above our homes on Meadowlark Road, Robin Rd, Redwing, Whippoorwill, Bluejay Drive, and Oriole Drive.
* The Runoff Funnel: Stripping this steep 15% to 18% slope turns the hillside into a high-velocity stormwater funnel. Impermeable solar panels act like massive metal roofs, dumping millions of gallons of unmitigated runoff directly onto our downslope properties.
* To help understand the size of this project please note that our entire neighborhood is about 30 acres.
THE DEVELOPER'S TRACK RECORD: THE WILLIAMSBURG DISASTER
* The Precedent: In Williamsburg, Massachusetts, developer Dynamic Energy Solutions LLC built a solar array on a steep hillside after falsely telling local boards it would not increase pollution.
* The Fall-Out: Once approved, they ignored stormwater rules. The hillside completely blew out, uprooting trees, burying protected wetlands under an acre of thick mud, and destroying a local river fishery.
* The Penalty: State environmental officials designated their actions as "egregious," and the state Attorney General forced Dynamic Energy to pay a $1.14 million federal settlement for environmental devastation.
PROOF OF DAMAGE: PROPERTY & FOUNDATIONS
* The Plainville, MA Precedent: A near-identical uphill solar project in Plainville, Massachusetts, completely ruined downslope properties. Uphill clearing sent water gushing into naturally dry basements, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in uninsurable structural damage.
[Different company handled that project. Here are news stories: https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/plainville-solar-farm-development-flooding/
* Hydrostatic Pressure: Most of our homes have naturally dry basements and no sump pumps. A suddenly rising water table will create massive underground pressure, cracking concrete foundations and flooding our homes.
THE THREAT TO OUR PRIVATE WELL WATER
* Aquifer Puncture Risk: Our neighborhood relies 100% on private wells. During construction of the Horseshoe Solar project in Rush, NY, crews driving heavy steel piles accidentally punctured an aquifer, cutting off residential water supply for weeks, causing permanent damage.
* The Illusion of "UL Approval": The developer claims their hardware is safe because it is "UL listed." A UL rating only proves fire safety in a laboratory. It does not stop toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, or gallium from leaching into our groundwater if panels shatter during harsh winter freeze-thaw cycles.
WHY SURETY BONDS ARE A FINANCIAL TRAP
* Bonds Are Not Cash: Dynamic Energy wants to use a corporate surety bond instead of a town-held cash escrow. If their shell company goes bankrupt, insurance companies will spend years fighting our town in court to avoid paying out.
* Taxpayer Liability: With a ~90% pre-construction attrition and resale rate for New York solar projects, a cash escrow is the only guarantee that taxpayers won't be stuck with a multi-million dollar cleanup bill when the developer walks away.
WHAT WE MUST DEMAND ON OCTOBER 5th to protect us and our private wells:
1. DENY THE VARIANCE: Force strict adherence to Local Law #1 of 2026. Demand a 100% liquid cash escrow.
2. WELL & FOUNDATION ESCROW: Mandate a developer-funded, town-held cash fund to instantly pay for repairs if a well goes dry or a basement floods.
3. HYDROGEOLOGICAL STUDY: Force a complete mapping of our aquifer before any piles are driven.
4. INDEPENDENT ENGINEERING: Require a developer-funded, town-appointed independent engineer with full stop-work authority on-site daily.
PROTECT HORSEHEADS-PROTECT VETERAN HILL. SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR NEIGHBORS!
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