'A mud pit:' Campbell County man claims solar farm runoff has ruined acres of property

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Va. (WSET) — A Campbell County man, whose property borders the Depot Solar Farm in Rustburg, said the farm has ruined his land, including a three-acre lake that’s now murky and full of debris.

Kenneth Elliot built his home in 1987, on his own slice of Central Virginia paradise, with a lake outside of his front door. In 2022 the Depot Solar Farm moved in next door, and for Elliott, that’s when everything changed.

The lake stays real muddy and real orange, like a pumpkin, for about nine months out of the year, depending on how much rain we get,” Elliott said.

The solar farm, owned by HEP Solar, spans more than three hundred acres. Appalachian Power uses the 50,000 solar panels to light around 2,600 homes.

Elliott and his brother-in-law, Daryll Worley, said the solar farm itself isn’t the problem, it’s the retention ponds.

“All the water from those retention ponds run into my lake,” Elliott said.

If it’s done right, you can live in harmony and it’s okay. No problem. This is not harmony. This is not done right,” Worley added.

They told ABC13 that the farm’s operation has ruined the once-idyllic property, and something needs to be done.

“This lake never looked like this. It’s never ever looked like this since he’s lived here in 1987. And now, look what it looks like. It looks like a mud pit,” Worley said.

The Campbell County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the solar farm in 2018. Rustburg supervisor Jon Hardie said that decision is one of his biggest regrets.

The solar farm that’s on that property should not have impacts with erosion and sediment that get into a neighboring property’s lake,” Hardie said. “It’s just wrong. I would really like to see corrective action taken by the company. It was an impact that no one; the Elliott’s, the Board of Supervisors, really saw coming.”

Hardie said the Depot Solar Farm was one of the first in our area.

“Unfortunately we have found out the hard way that there are several repercussions that can occur when there are solar farms too close to neighboring properties,” Hardie said. “I have deep, heartfelt regret over my vote on the Board of Supervisors for this project. It’s probably my largest regret as a Board of Supervisors member”

Elliott said she’s approached HEP Solar, as well as the Department of Environmental Quality, with no luck. Hardie said they’ve run into roadblocks and can’t do much more at the local level.

“It is unfortunate. I know that the Board has looked at this situation, taken it into consideration. We approach solar farms with great caution in our locality. While energy is a resource that we all need, it is certainly not worth devastating one man’s property to get those resources,” Hardie said. “You would hope that the regulations that are in place by the state would keep things like this from happening… We depend on DEQ to protect us.”

Elliott and Worley said it’s a sickening situation, to have the property forever changed.

I walk out every morning now, want to do some work and I look down at the lake,” Elliott said. “I go back into the house and sit down. I get so angry.”

For farmers, be very careful about bringing a company in that can do this to neighbor’s property. Something this devastating to neighbors property. It’s devaluating, it’s injurious, and it could be bad when something like this happens,” Worley said. “It’s heartbreaking… It beats them down.”

ABC13 reached out to HEP Solar, to get answers regarding the situation. We haven’t heard back but will continue pressing to find out what can be done to remedy the situation, as well as how they plan to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.