Solar facility at Cutchogue landfill clears another hurdle

The Southold Planning Board heard comments from five Southold residents about the proposed construction of a commercial solar facility atop the capped Cutchogue landfill on Cox Lane during an April 7 meeting.

The proposed facility would include roughly 7,900 8-foot solar panels, two inverters and two transformers. The construction will have a generating capacity of 4.60 megawatts of direct current or 3.06 megawatts of alternating current, according to a Jan. 23 special exception site plan application prepared by TRC Environmental Corporation — a consulting, engineering and construction management firm based in Windsor, Conn. 

The project bid from Summit Ridge Energy was originally approved by Southold Town Board in August 2020. Those plans included a 3.5-megawatt solar array and one-megawatt battery storage facility. The battery storage facility was ultimately scrapped from the project and replaced by the inverters and transformers because of the Battery Energy Storage System moratorium in Southold Town.

Summit Ridge Energy representative Jeremy Karpf addressed concerns Monday about noise pollution that were noted at the March 10 public hearing. He said the noise produced by the inverters, when standing next to it, would be roughly 59.2 dB — similar to the noise of a conversation. When standing 100 feet away, he said the sound would be roughly 23 dB, similar to a whisper. 

“So, there should really be no sound that permeates to any adjacent property,” Mr. Karpf said. 

Cutchogue resident Barbara Taylor raised questions about an environmental study for the project, whether there were any alternative locations in Southold Town that could support the project, and what kind of safety plan would be in place if the transformers and inverters had issues. 

She also asked who would be responsible for removing the panels if Summit Ridge Energy decided that they did not want to continue operating the facility sometime in the future. 

“I will tell you, that I believe the direction we’re going is to require a discontinuation bond from the installer to address what happens as this reaches the end of its life cycle,” Planning Board chairperson James Rich III said in response to Ms. Taylor’s concerns. He added that other concerns would be addressed in the Planning Board’s final report on the project. 

Alex O’Meara, a member of the Friends of Oregon Road group, asked about who would pay for the removal of solar panels down the road should the landfill cap membrane need maintenance. She also asked who would pay for the repair of solar panels, adding that “the town should make sure that the developer does not look to the town to recoup lost revenue during the repair period.”

The Cutchogue landfill was used to dispose of municipal solid waste, debris and scavenger waste until 1993, when it was closed and capped. 

“Use of closed solid waste landfills for [photovoltaic] solar projects is a practical end use that also yields renewable energy,” according to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation policy.

Mr. Karpf said Summit Ridge Energy would flag any “major components such as gas vents or monitor wells,” will demarcate landfill cover limits, and have awareness training with all workers involved with the projection to ensure the landfill cap is protected. Continued monitoring and inspections reporting will also take place, he said. 

“If there were any issues with stabilization, it would be promptly dealt with and stabilized,” Mr. Karpf said.

When asked whether the proposed facility would affect the aesthetics of the town, Mr. Rich III said the solar panels won’t be visible from Oregon Road or North Road. 

Orient resident Tom Stevenson spoke in support of the solar facility at the public hearing. 

“I couldn’t think of a better spot for a solar project like this,” Mr. Stevenson said. “I think it’s long overdue.”

The planning staff will now collect all comments from the public and agencies such as the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, the town engineer and solid waste administrator. All of those comments will be combined with planning staff comments into a comprehensive staff report.

During a referral review, the planning staff will review any issues that were raised and see if any revisions will be required by the Planning Board before a final decision is made about the project at an upcoming work session.