FORWARD TWP — At a special meeting on Tuesday afternoon, July 22, the Forward Township Board of Supervisors approved amendments to two existing township ordinances, one regarding alternative energy sources and another about solid waste disposal.

The alternative energy amendment imposes new regulations for any developer who wishes to install solar or wind energy facilities in the township. The amendment will require developers to post a financial security to the township worth 110% of the estimated value of decommissioning the facility. The previous requirement was for 100%.

In addition, the developer will be required to retain an “independent and certified professional engineer” to provide an updated estimate of the decommissioning cost at least once every three years. The previous time frame was five years.

Lastly, facility owners will not be allowed to store any spare or broken components of a solar facility on the property.

Township officials said the more stringent requirements will help prevent the possibility of taxpayers having to bankroll the decommissioning of solar facilities.

“This ordinance is meant to make sure that responsible companies come in, develop those solar facilities and are using top quality equipment, and they’re responsible for the cleanup down the road,” said township Supervisor Mark Wilson.

“The changes we’ve made are to protect our taxpayers, to protect the landowners, to protect our environment and ensure that the taxpayers are not burdened with the decommissioning of a facility, especially if it's a solar operator who goes defunct before it needs to be decommissioned,” said Supervisor Susan Oliver-Stough.

Also amended was Chapter 20 of the code of ordinances, which covers the disposal of solid waste.

The ordinance was amended to add a regulation requiring residents to store waste in a manner that does not contaminate the environment or create a breeding ground for insects or rodents.

It also empowers a township-approved enforcement official to investigate complaints and issue citations for violations of the ordinance.

“We've had some concerns across the township with people burning municipal waste and causing problems with their neighborhood,” Oliver-Stough said. “This just addresses and clarifies for everybody that they're responsible for disposing of it properly and not burning it, and especially not burning animal waste.”