HomeMy WebLinkAbout20233210.tiff INVENTORY OF ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION
Applicant Barry James Reider & Julie Ann Case Number USR23-0034
Nelson Living Trusts
Submitted or Prepared
Prior to At
Hearing Hearing
1 Letter from Michael J Woodruff X
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I hereby certify that the items identified herein were submitted to the Department of Planning Services at
or prior to the scheduled Planning Commissioners hearing .
r'/0/6#41•111041 le-kkaser _
Chris Gathman , Planner III
Greetings Weld County Planning Department.
As one of the owners and residents of the property at 41640 County Road 39, we have concerns for the
Trapper Trail Solar Project . The landowner for the project borders our entire north and east property
lines therefore, it greatly impacts the well- being of our family.
Health Risks :
Our greatest concern are the health risks .
I am not interested in having the leachate of heavy metals into our well water or topsoil . The list of
heavy metals in solar operations include : Lead , Cadmium, Arsenic, Barium, Mercury, and "other"
elements . These toxic materials are either carcinogenic, create brain necrosis, kidney and liver damage,
cellular damage, oxidative stress, bioaccumulate, or all of the above .
Jaishankar M, Tseten T Anbalagan N, Mathew 86, Beeregowda KN. Toxicity, mechanism and health
effects of some heavy metals. lnterdiscip Toxicol. 2014 Jun; 7(2):60- 72. doi: 10. 2478/intox-2014-0009.
Epub 2014 Nov 15. PMID: 26109881; PMCID: PMC4427717.
Two weeks ago, on July 27th, 2023, the Village of Lyme had a shelter in place order for a 1 mile radius of
the solar farm that caught fire . This was to protect citizens from the initial toxic fumes . Then the
concern quickly moved to their ground water immediately afterwards . Immediate residents were all
over the news voicing their concerns after the fact. I image the planning department did not do a great
job of considering the potential negative impacts of this solar project . The local fire department was not
prepared for this type of fire situation . Is the local fire department prepared for these unique fire
situations ? No one lives closer to this proposal than we do ( less than 500 feet ) . For perspective, there
are 5, 280 feet in a mile. This is an appallingly close distance to human and animal inhabitants .
Especially when one of those humans is 1 year old . This proposal belongs much further away.
I thought this solar farm fire would be a rare occurrence and add some more examples; however, the list
of solar farm fires is far too great to add . That is alarming. Is there a surety bond in the
decommissioning plan to ensure that the project will be funded to remove damaged panels, especially in
the case of an all too common solar farm fire event ? Cloudbreak Energy has only been in business since
2019 . Per the informational meeting, Cloudbreak Energy's plan is to fix damaged panels within 2 weeks !
A lot of leaching can take place in that amount of time .
Other damage to solar panels can include hail , severe weather conditions, natural degradation through
time, and animals . Sheep are unruly, destructive animals .
Solar operations create electromagnetic pulses . My wife suffers from occasional migraines . I do not
need another factor aggravating this . Part of the reason that we live where we do is to help minimize
this . We do not know how these electromagnetic pulses will adversely affect my son , livestock, pets
either. Inverters would need to be set back much further away from where we live on a daily basis . This
proposal belongs much further away.
Unsightly Industrial Project:
EXHIBIT
Another concern is living next to an unsightly industrial project . Some drawbacks are glare from panels,
obstructed view, property value reduction . With this project we would lose property value to potential
buyers in the event that we wish to sell or rent the property. That would be income lost to us as
landowners .
This project will also alter the beneficial native wildlife that travel the land . Jackrabbits already occupy
the applicants land that intrude on our pasture making burrows that have injured one of our cows . A
solar project would not help this current issue . Will migrating geese and other native birds be disrupted
with this project ?
The owners of the proposed project do not have to live by this.
Opposition to Trapper Trail Solar Project:
The solar panel installation company assures us that the panels meet Federal and State regulations. I do
not have any confidence in Federal and State regulations for safety. I have more confidence in local
agencies who more closely represent their communities . Based on the multitude of conditions that
could potentially go wrong as well as the close proximity to my family, animals, and home; this is a health
and safety hazard that does not belong here . It belongs in an already designated industrial area or far
from humans, livestock, and crops to minimize adverse impacts .
With these concerns on public record, we will ensure our health , safety and prosperity are not
compromised . I am looking ahead at what our future could look like if this proposal actually goes
through . Too many negative impacts being this close to people who live here . This proposal belongs
much further away.
As residents of 41640 County Road 39, we are opposed to the Trapper Trail Solar Project . Our property
has been a farmstead for a long time (farmhouse built in 1900) .
This doesn't meet Weld County guidelines for agricultural land use and the Right to Farm ethic . We are
promised through Weld County the Right to Farm in an agriculturally zoned property without factors
across the fence threatening this right. Our livestock and garden food sources should not be a potential
source of health risk . There is no foreseeable benefit .
Michael J . Woodruff, Resident
41640 County Road 39, Ault, CO 80610
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