Skip to content

Solar farms in 3 states cited for environmental violations

A statement by the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency said, in each case, the alleged companies failed to take steps to control runoff water.

Associated Press
Associated Press
| 2 min read
Solar farms in 3 states cited for environmental violations

Embed from Getty Images

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Four companies that developed solar energy facilities in Alabama, Idaho, and Illinois have agreed to pay a total of $1.3 million for violating construction permits and rules for handling groundwater, authorities said Monday.

A statement by the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency said the companies used a common construction contractor. In each case, the government alleged companies failed to take steps to control runoff water. In Alabama and Idaho, sediment from construction sites got into nearby waterways, the government said.

The cases involved AL Solar A LLC, which built a solar farm near LaFayette, Alabama; American Falls Solar LLC, which owned a site near American Falls, Idaho; Prairie State Solar LLC, owner of a development in Perry County, Illinois; and Big River Solar LLC, which had a development in White County, Illinois, according to the statement.

The solar farm owners are all subsidiaries of large international companies, the government said.

AL Solar will pay $500,000 in civil penalties to state and federal regulators, it said, and American Falls will pay a civil penalty of $416,500 to the federal government. The Illinois sites remain under construction, and officials there have to follow the rules for the remainder of the work.


Subscribe to the Chicago Journal


The Chicago Journal needs your support.

At just $20/year, your subscription not only helps us grow, it helps maintain our commitment to independent publishing.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE

If you're already a subscriber and you'd like to send a tip to continue to support the Chicago Journal, which we would greatly appreciate, you can do so at the following link:

Send a tip to the Chicago Journal


Subscribe to the Chicago Journal

EnvironmentIllinois NewsIllinois BusinessBusiness

Associated Press Twitter

News and content from The Associated Press, which has been covering the world's most important stories since 1846.


Related Posts

Home invader fatally stabbed by resident in Rockford

A man and a woman inside the home were able to block the door and prevent the intruder from entering, but the suspect broke out a window and began hitting one of the residents with a piece of lumber, police said.

Home invader fatally stabbed by resident in Rockford

Illinois prison guard gets 20 years for inmate beating death

Earvin, who suffered from mental illness, was serving a six-year term for theft of merchandise under $300 in Cook County and was scheduled for release in September 2018. He also had a rap sheet dating to 1984.

Illinois prison guard gets 20 years for inmate beating death

Mandatory paid time off: 'a strain' for Illinois business

Small business owners in Illinois say they know the importance of taking care of their workers, but some view the paid leave requirement as a government-imposed burden.

Mandatory paid time off: 'a strain' for Illinois business