CALEDONIA, N.Y. — A major solar project in Livingston County has encountered an unexpected hurdle after crews accidentally struck an aquifer while drilling. The incident is causing 50 to 100 gallons of water to surface per minute.
The drilling, which reached 80 feet underground, is part of a 180-megawatt facility project by Horseshoe Solar Energy LLC.
According to documents from the Department of Public Works, a permit modification request was submitted on February 16 to address to resolve the issue. The company proposed using a flexible hydrophobic foam, certified as safe for drinking water systems (NSF/ANSI 61), to seal the borehole. And to be installed by a specialized subcontractor, with installation methods designed to avoid aquifer contamination.
The foam will be installed via the HDD drill at least 50 feet from the water return site, and the bore will be sealed just below subgrade levels to maintain pressure and prevent future surfacing.
At first, the permit request said the drilling was 400ft below ground surface elevation, it was since corrected to ‘400ft away from the bore entry and 80ft below ground surface.’ Because of this, the project site has been temporarily inundated, as well as nearby agricultural fields.
Ken Estes Jr., a landowner in Caledonia, shared his thoughts on the situation.
Adelisa Badzic: “Have you guys been impacted here?”
Ken Estes Jr.,: “Not that I’m aware of. It’s hard to know with frozen ground.”
He expressed concerns about the long-term effectiveness of using man-made products to seal the aquifer.
“They’re kind of diminishing the potential for concern over it,” Estes Jr. said.
“So hopefully, you know, when you look at sealing something with man-made product, there’s always concern that is that going to last? Is that going to have potential for something down the road?”
News10NBC reached out to Horseshoe Solar for comment, its statement can be read below.
“Horseshoe Solar recently began a limited scope of early construction Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) work. During routine, scheduled drilling work groundwater surfaced at the site. This is a known potential occurrence with underground construction. The onsite team initiated necessary protocols and reported the incident to the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS). The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) was also notified. The groundwater is being contained and managed at the site. Invenergy is working with DPS, DEC and our contractors to ensure the issue is fully resolved. Our team has also been in the community to address questions and share information about activities at the site. HDD is a safe construction technique used to install common underground infrastructure like telecommunications infrastructure, sewers, and electric and fiber-optic cables.”
The company noted it has conducted extensive geotechnical groundwater and surface water studies prior to beginning construction. Adding no long-term impacts to the river and its water resources are anticipated. Once construction is complete, the site will be restored to its pre-construction condition.
The Department of Public Works has yet to provide further details on their next steps.
They did issue a statement emphasizing their commitment to environmental issues, referencing a letter sent to Cattaraugus County IDA, which is two hours away. The letter highlighted concerns from residents in that county, who rely on a single aquifer and fear a similar incident could occur there.
Horseshoe Solar addresses aquifer incident during Livingston County construction WHEC.com.
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