For about two hours Thursday night, members of the regional planning committee listened to residents of two townships in western Monroe County voice their concerns about a proposed solar field and substation.

Effort Solar LLC., based in Oceanside City, California, has submitted plans to Polk Township to build a solar panel farm near the intersection of Bear Road and Long Mountain Road. Its parent company is Samsung of Korea. The map in the plan shows a substation in Chestnuthill Township.

“We have received no plan from Samsung for this project,” said Chuck Gould, chairman of the regional planning committee, known as CJERP. “A Samsung team came in here awhile back offering to update our ordinance pertaining to solar farms,” This project is in its early phases.”

CJERP is made up of Chestnuthill, Jackson, Eldred, Ross and Polk townships.

The regional committee meets monthly to address matters that affect the region such as farmland preservation, warehouse and other industrial proposals, zoning, and public safety.

“We have to do everything with an open mind. We want your input. We want you to come to meetings - these CJERP, township supervisors’, and township planning commission meetings,” Gould said. “Public input is welcome at any of those meetings.”

Matt Neeb, CJERP liaison and Chestnuthill Township planning and zoning director, told the standing-room-only crowd that Chestnuthill would be revising its own ordinance, and not allowing Samsung any input on zoning related to commercial solar.

Under their current zoning, there are 11,000 acres where commercial solar is allowed.

However, the township is working on what’s called a Solar Commercial Overlay District, which would reduce the amount to about 2,100 acres where solar farms and substations would be allowed.

“We have to allow it somewhere or risk being sued,” Gould said. “We never dreamed of a project this big.”

The residents’ biggest concerns are wildlife that will be displaced by the project; the unknown unintended consequences like water contamination, damage to roadways, and strain on volunteer firefighters; and adverse effects to property values.

“At our hearing last week, Polk residents had concerns about the panels catching on fire. We do not have any hydrants near that field,” said Al Keller, a Polk resident and active firefighter with Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company.

He was referring to the conditional use hearing on July 17, where Polk supervisors and staff met with a team of Samsung’s engineers and lawyers.

Samsung representatives said there are two ways to deal with solar panel fires: just let them burn out or use specialized equipment and foam.

This was an unacceptable answer to Polk officials and residents, because of the chemicals going into the ground, the smoke and debris that would be in the air and potentially blowing into neighboring homes, and public safety.

Polk supervisor Michael Hurley said Thursday that he and fire chief Billy Tippett have discussed the matter.

They want the fire department to be able to kill the power to the panels if there’s a fire, not wait hours for a Samsung representative to arrive. They also want Samsung to provide the specialized equipment needed to extinguish a fire.

Resident Tim Handelong asked, “Is this solar power coming here to our residents or going elsewhere to provide power to some other community?”

Samsung representatives could not answer that clearly last week. They gave a vague description of how the power grid would be evaluated to determine where the power is needed most.

A few commented that this project could be a financial bust for the two townships and the majority of residents, and not a financial boom for anyone but Samsung and one or two property owners.

Chestnuthill Township has one solar farm, which is next to Kinsley’s Shop Rite of Brodheadsville and powers the store. A second project is still being reviewed by the township’s planning commission, and its proposed location is behind Mavis Tire on Route 209. The substation needed to go with the solar field in Polk would be the township’s third solar commercial project.

“This could take years, not months, even if things go perfectly,” Gould said. “The best decisions any board can make are the ones they get from residents.”

Gould encouraged the crowd to attend township meetings and listed dates. Chestnuthill supervisors meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. Chestnuthill planning commission meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1 to work on the draft of the solar overlay district. Polk’s second conditional use hearing is at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 6 p.m. at Polk firehouse. The August CJERP meeting is canceled because of the West End Fair; their next meeting is 7 p.m. Sept. 28.

“Our township is being proactive, not reactive. We need to stick together and come to meetings,” said Teri VanBritsom, a lifelong Chestnuthill resident.