By now, many of us have experienced the anti-solar misinformation campaign that solar opponents and special interest groups have been running for months to try to intimidate us into opposing the proposed Frasier Solar project.
Just last week, another great example of this misinformation campaign appeared on the Knox Smart Development (KSD) Facebook page, which has been a central source of misleading information targeting our beloved community, especially regarding the false claim that solar panels present a risk of contaminating soil or groundwater.
On April 23, KSD stated, “Did you know that Ohio’s state department has inaccurate information about PV module toxicity and end-of-life treatment? Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL.gov).” KSD’s post has since been shared multiple times.
The post lacked details or context, but along with KSD’s continuous misleading claims about solar panel toxicity, including on the group’s homepage, it leads the public to believe that the “inaccurate information about PV module toxicity” supports KSD’s false claims that solar panels can leach toxins into our soil and water. In fact, a review of the NREL source that KSD cites actually proves the exact opposite!
As that NREL presentation clarifies (See Slide 58), a number of the toxic materials stated on state websites are “irrelevant to commercial PV applications” like Frasier. (For example, they’re only used in solar panels on satellites, etc.) The NREL document cited by KSD actually debunks solar toxicity concerns related to lead, cadmium, gallium, and selenium and discusses how media coverage of this topic often includes inaccurate information.
Sadly, this is how misinformation works. KSD dishonestly uses a scientific source that debunks KSD’s own claims about solar panel toxicity in an attempt to deceive us into thinking the source is actually supporting KSD’s false claim about solar panel toxicity.
This misinformation campaign is especially shameful considering the fact that both Frasier Solar’s application and OPSB’s licensing conditions require the use of solar panels that pass the EPA’s toxicity tests, meaning they are non-hazardous. This is just one more example of the concerted effort to deceive and scare us into opposing a well-designed, well-regulated, and safe technology. I hope we all recognize these scare tactics for what they are.
Instead of focusing on the negative, we should try to explore the positive. The positive includes a tremendous tax revenue that benefits Mount Vernon school districts. I would encourage people to research for themselves and ask the tough questions. This issue does not need to be as divisive as it has been. Personally, I have reached out to Frasier Solar directly regarding my questions and concerns. All of my questions were answered and all of my concerns were calmed.
Kind regards,
Matt Jones
Mount Vernon, OH
