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Facing fines over seven solar farms in Virginia, including ones in Pamplin and Buckingham County, an Israeli company says it’s working to meet state requirements.

In March, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) reached an agreement with Energix US LLC. The company will pay $97,651 in fines and has agreed to fix all of the problems identified by the state agency. But the main issue flagged by DEQ wasn’t about current problems.

“During the inspection on Aug. 31, 2022, DEQ staff observed that corrective actions from the Dec. 16, 2021 and July 15, 2022 inspections had not been corrected,” the March 6 report states of the Buckingham site.

As The Herald reported last July, the Buckingham II Solar project, located at 23 Highrock Road, has been cited for multiple violations over the last two years. That includes environmental problems like not stabilizing the slopes of basins in the area, allowing erosion between solar panels and discharging sediment, which covered the on-site road in places, according to the report. The violations also covered some administrative tasks, like not performing required inspections and not having all controls in compliance.

IT JUST TAKES TIME

Company officials say they recognize the issues brought up at the Buckingham operation and it just takes time to get it all resolved.

“Energix has been working consistently to address and remediate all issues at the Buckingham site identified by DEQ,” said Dominika Sink. She serves as Senior Director of Project Acquisition and Development for the company. “Closing out an environmental permit takes time. The process varies, depending on the specific site issues, but can often last several months or more.”

For example, she pointed out that establishing vegetation and planting new grass can’t be finished within the span of weeks or a couple months.

“Those are) weather-dependent and require seasonal growing cycles,” Sink said.

It’s not that the company is ignoring the complaints, she said, but it will take time to make it happen.

“Our civil contractor is actively working to complete the projects as quickly as possible and they have made great progress in that regard,” Sink said. “We anticipate completing the remaining work in advance of DEQ’s imposed deadline.”

That deadline is currently set for May 30, by which time the company is required to repair the areas of erosion and stabilize the basins.

Sink also said some of the issues, like sediment buildup, likely came from on-site vehicles working on the original problems. The company is working with their subcontractor to make sure that’s addressed as well.

MAKING CHANGES AT PAMPLIN

At the Pamplin site, located over the line in Appomattox County, the main issue is stabilization. When you plant grass and other vegetation around a site, the root and leaf systems help strengthen soil structure, so that erosion and runoff isn’t as big a concern.

That’s still not complete at the Pamplin site.

“During the inspection on November 9, 2022, DEQ staff observed that there were several areas within the limits of disturbance that were not stabilized,” the March report states. “Areas within the solar array area and along the perimeter of the site between the array and the limits of disturbance did not have sufficient vegetative stabilization.”

Sink said maintenance like stabilization is an ongoing task at all of the sites. And working with DEQ officials, the company has made several changes to their operations. That includes hiring more staff to work as erosion, sediment and stormwater management inspectors.

“After construction, solar projects require limited maintenance,” Sink said. “The bulk of the work is focused on managing vegetation, periodic technical maintenance, and site monitoring.”

Now the company plans to have more people in place to monitor that.