Town of Cortlandville Tables Vote on Solar Moratorium Until October 1st – Cortlandville Fire Chief Speaks on Fire Risks

The Town of Cortlandville Town Board voted 4-1 to table a vote on passing a local law that would impose a 6-month moratorium on the acceptance and approval of new applications regarding solar energy systems within the town. Councilperson Jeff Guido voted against tabling the vote, stating that it should’ve been voted on during their meeting last night, September 16th.

Prior to the vote on tabling any action until their October 1st Town Board meeting, a public hearing was held in regards to the revised solar moratorium. The town previously tabled voting on issuing the local law of a 6-month moratorium during their last board meeting on September 3rd following 45 minutes of public comments from residents, mainly from Carr Hill Road. Keegan Coughlin, of Coughlin and Gerhart, who the town hired to assist with solar projects, said during the previous town board meeting, the town would “clean up” the proposed local law prior to a final vote.

Last night’s public hearing regarding the moratorium was a little bit longer than the September 3rd meeting, lasting about 50 minutes. In total, 17 people spoke during the public hearing with 16 voicing their opposition to solar and in favor of a moratorium. However, some expressed their desire for the town to make it permanent instead of 6-months.

Overall concerns brought up by residents included the destruction of prime farmland, drainage issues, the risk of heavy metals contaminating the ground and making it unusable for future farming after decommissioning, the ruining of the natural beauty of the area, lack of proper notice of proposed solar projects, noise issues, and fire concerns.

Speaking first during the public hearing was Chief of the Cortlandville Fire Department, Mike Biviano. The chief brought up the fire risk solar and battery projects pose, especially in rural areas. He cited a major fire that took place in Jefferson County in 2023, the Chaumont Fire.

On July 23rd, 2023, a fire broke out at a solar field in the Village of Chaumont that included a cargo container of lithium ion batteries used for storing electricity produced by the solar field. According to NCPR, that fire lasted for six days with nearby residents told to shelter in place. Biviano went on to say once a fire breaks out, there is no way to stop it adding there is no means to fight these types of fire and they have to just burn themselves out.

“In New York alone, there were three sites in 2023, one in Suffolk, one in Orange, and in Jefferson [Counties]. The burned solar panels, these batteries, they [release] gas that can produce hydrogen cyanide. A very deadly gas. So to simply put, these [solar & batteries] come in and growing these [projects], on a firefighting standpoint, there is nothing we can do. We cannot fight these fires, we cannot put these fires out, they have to burn out.” Chief Biviano said to the Town Board.

Reasoning to table the moratorium was given by Mr. Coughlin, who added the Cortland County Planning Board had no issues with the revised local law and did not need to review it. He did recommend the Town Board allow the Planning Board the opportunity to review the revised local law of the moratorium at their September 30th meeting and vote on their recommendation of the proposed law prior to the town board voting on passing the local law implementing the 6-month moratorium. He added doing this will allow the Planning Board the same opportunity the County Planning Board had when reviewing the revised local law.

“The Planning Board recommended the approval of the moratorium in a prior iteration. [The towns] local code suggests zoning regulation should be referred to the Planning Board for their advice and recommendation and since there was a change to that local law that the [Planning Board] provided advice and recommendation on. It’s my advice that you give them the second [look] to make sure you’re not contradicting what the Planning Board intent was.” Coughlin said to the Town Board.

The Planning Board has not had a chance to meet yet since the revised local law on the moratorium; their last meeting was on August 26th. Councilperson Sunday Earle confirmed that this is the proper practice and procedure for the town to which Coughlin confirmed. The Cortlandville Planning Board will meet on Tuesday, September 30th at 6:30pm at the Raymond G. Thorpe Municipal Building.

You can find the proposed local law for the 6-month solar moratorium via the town website, HERE.