Representation by Angela Taylor
- Date submitted
- 10 March 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am a resident of Red Lodge and have many concerns about the Sunnica solar farm proposal. These include the use of increasingly vital agricultural land and the proximity to rural villages, and the impact on the countryside around them. My main concerns however relate to the battery storage areas and in particular the proximity to Red Lodge. There are known cases of these batteries catching fire and releasing toxic fumes. I am not confident that any mitigation plan created by Sunnica will ensure that the residents of Red Lodge and the many surrounding villages are safe should this happen. The representatives of Sunnica at a meeting at Red Lodge yesterday said that any toxic fumes would be below required levels, but I don't believe that is acceptable and I am not prepared to be part of their experiment with this technology. There is an elderly population and schools near to the proposed battery site and apparently no evacuation plan should the worst case scenario happen. I cannot believe that there isn't a more suitable site for the solar farm away from populated areas. Whilst I am in favour of clean energy production the location of this project is not acceptable.