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Public hearing set for today on amended solar ordinance in Tazewell County

tazewell, va. — A public hearing has been scheduled for today on an amended ordinance pertaining to a large-scale solar energy project for Tazewell County. The public hearing stems from a proposed solar energy project in the Southern District of Tazewell County. Today's public hearing is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. before the county Board of Supervisors and will be held at the Tazewell County Administration Building located at 197 Main St., Tazewell. The supervisors passed an ordinance last year pertaining to solar energy facilities in the county. That ordinance requires that potential large-scale solar energy facility operators provide to the board and the Tazewell County Planning Commission a list of 21 specific documents prior to approval of any large-scale solar energy facility. The amended ordinance also requires Material Safety Data Sheets and Product Safety Data Sheets concerning any potential exposure to hazardous chemicals, according to a legal advertisement that appeared in the May 30 edition of the Daily Telegraph. Tazewell County Administrator Eric Young said the amended solar energy facilities ordinance was initiated by the county's planning commission. 'What this would do would simply require the company that was installing the solar panels to provide a data sheet containing the component and chemical composition of the components,' Young said. Young said the amended ordinance is in response to potential environmental concerns associated with the proposed project. The solar energy project is planned at a site not far from the Cavitt's Creek Recreation Area, which is also near the municipal limits of the town of Tazewell. The solar energy project is still in the planning stages and the developer has not yet applied for a building permit, according to Young. As currently proposed, the project would generate almost a quarter of a million dollars a year in annual tax revenue for Tazewell County. At least one full-time job would also be created to oversee and make sure the solar panels are functioning correctly. 'It's actually two separate projects that will be done in stages over the years,' Young said. 'The tax revenue would be about $240,000 a year for us, which would be significant.' Contact Charles Owens at cowens@