Former battery plant site could become solar farm near Ashland
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - The former site of Ashland Metals on Germanville Road in Butler Township, seen on Jan. 30, 2024.
FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – The site of a former battery recycling plant could soon become a solar farm, if a New York firm has its way.
Solitude Solar, doing business as U.S. Light Energy, of Latham, NY, has proposed a solar farm on the former site of Ashland Metals off Germanville Road.
The property, split across three parcels, is owned by Ed and April Wytovich, according to the Schuylkill Parcel Locator.
A public zoning hearing is set for Feb. 7 at 7pm at the Butler Township Municipal Building in Fountain Springs on the matter.
The company has requested two variances, one to install the solar farm itself and one for setback requirements.
The property was a battery recycling plant decades ago and was a hazardous waste site and is still monitored by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Contrary to erroneous reports, no buildings remain on the property, nor are any above-ground remnants of hazardous materials.
In the 1990s, DEP undertook a $2 Million project to demolish the site, remove any hazardous materials aboveground, and cover the site with clay and vegetation, creating a cap. DEP still monitors the site for potential groundwater contamination.
During operations at the plant, battery casings were piled up and the property was heavily contaminated with lead.
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