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Dear Editor, 

I am writing because I am concerned about the article written in The Herald about what a representative from Arlington wants to do in regards to how solar farms can go through the State Corporate Commission instead of the respective counties planning commission and board of supervisors for approval of their solar farm. 

I feel that this overreach of a state in regards to what is good for a particular community and the people who live there. They are not the ones who will be impacted by the pollution and destruction of that community. Only the people who live near those localities are affected by these solar farms. I still have not figured out how they are supposed to be a good or green energy for the environment when you remove all the trees on at least a thousand acre location, except for the supposed buffer. There is noise and light pollution from the panels and batteries. Not to mention the chemicals that leech into the ground and the radiation emitted by the panels. No vegetation or wildlife can survive there, including birds and bees. They also do not provide as much power and energy as coal, gas, or nuclear. 

The solar farm is more widely affected by weather and other outside interference. If you are only going to rely on electricity for heating if you have a power outage you have no way of keeping warm. At least with coal or gas you can still heat your home with a stove that uses these natural fuels. And how is this considered green energy when you destroy the land by cutting down all the trees that provide shelter to wildlife and provide the oxygen we breathe. And it helps to cool the planet. Cutting the trees is the major problem with global warming. Nothing will ever be able to live or grow near these lands, and the pollution from the chemicals and not to mention the radiation and noise and light pollution. 

Each county of a state should be the ones to decide what happens in their county, not some state agency who doesn’t live there. Just like Washington shouldn’t decide what happens in each state. The residents of Buckingham, Cumberland, and Prince Edward counties and their local governments should decide what businesses should be there when it comes to how it will affect their communities. All counties and residents need to let those in the General Assembly hear their voices on this matter. Let’s bombard the phones stating how we feel. If we don’t stand up for us who say what else they will push on us. 

Rhonda Sams 

Cartersville