BY PAUL MITCHELL
North Country This Week

CANTON – The economy, higher education, environment and traffic were four topics discussed by members of the Canton Village Board Wednesday night as potential impacts from EDF Renewables’ proposed Rich Road 240-megawatt solar project.

As the village prepares to apply for intervenor status, William Buchan, energy counsel for the Town of Canton and recently hired by the village to handle the intervenor matters, approached the board via Zoom to hear their concerns about the Rich Road project.

“I want you to help me understand understand the village’s perspective in respect to this project,” said Buchan.

Trustee Barbara Beekman was first to speak.

“The village is the heart of our economic engine. Changing the nature of the town known as having a rural agricultural nature to what? There are a lot of unknowns,” she said.

Buchan agreed.

“The agricultural setting is going to change drastically,” he said.

“Students come here because they are attracted to our environment. Faculty use the area as their classroom. It’s not going to be nature you’re looking at,” remarked Trustee Beth Larrabee.

If the solar project has a negative effect on the college campuses, there could be an economic impact.

“With the recruitment of faculty and staff, it comes down to taxes. We as a village need to respond through mitigation,” said Deputy Mayor Anna Sorensen.

Regarding traffic and the delivery of supplies and equipment during construction, Mayor Michael Dalton “it depends on where they come from. The state highway runs right through downtown.”

Buchan made it clear that despite intervenor status, there is very little chance public input, including that from the village, will stop this project.

“We are trying to make it as good as it can be. I’m torn because I have heard of a lot of folks say we don’t want it here,” Buchan said. “We need to articulate our own specific concerns. We need to try to discover what impacts are unique and make sure EDF is required to do things that can be done.”

He encouraged board members to talk to their neighbors and constituents to “identify things that are on people’s minds.”

Larrabee voiced her displeasure with the massiveness of the Rich Road solar project, asking if this is just the first of many large 25-megawatt-or-more projects to set foot in the region.

“We don’t have a voice really to mitigate how much land is used. How many more will we see come to St. Lawrence County?” she said.

“Over the next year I will be talking with you a lot more,” Buchan stated. “We need to have the siting board hear our voice.”