By Tabitha Evans Moore | Editor & Publisher
According to Tony Grow of Grow Environmental Solutions — the company tasked with overseeing the development of the Silicon Ranch Solar Farm on Highway 55 — the company is currently out of compliance with its state stormwater permit, raising concerns about erosion control, sediment runoff, and potential impacts to nearby waterways.
The disclosure came during the February Metro Planning and Zoning meeting, where Grow provided an update on construction activity at the large-scale solar installation. According to Grow, the site has been progressing more quickly than anticipated, but compliance with required stormwater protections has not kept pace.
“We’ve made some recommendations to them; they’re correcting them, but not correcting them fast enough. As of right now, they’re not in compliance with their permit,” Grow stated.
Throughout the construction process performed by LPL Solar — a Fort Lauderdale, Florida company, Grow has have been conducting weekly site visits on behalf of Metro Moore County and reported repeated instances of stormwater leaving the property and into the nearby Hurricane Creek, which runs along the west portion of the solar farm site. The Hurricane Creek appears on the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC)’s Exceptional Tennessee Waters list, which protects streams with outstanding ecological value. This means TDEC should take any report of potential runoff seriously.
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Grow also expressed his opinion that erosion-control measures were either inadequate or not corrected in a timely manner. Despite ongoing communication with contractors, Grow stated that deficiencies continue to be observed. As of the meeting, the project was described as not meeting the conditions of its stormwater permit.
Because of the size of the project — exceeding 50 acres of disturbed land — the site is subject to enhanced monitoring requirements under state regulations. Those rules require water sampling after every half-inch of rainfall at dozens of outfalls across the property. County officials reported that at least 11 qualifying rain events have occurred since land disturbance was declared, yet requested monitoring documentation has either not been provided or remains incomplete. Questions were also raised about whether the correct testing standards are being used to measure sediment levels.
Officials further reported sediment discharges leaving the site and entering nearby creeks, requiring cleanup on multiple occasions. Particular concern was expressed about drainage flowing into Hurricane Creek, which is designated as an Exceptional Tennessee Water, a classification reserved for waterways with especially high ecological value and stricter protection standards.
While Grow continues to document violations and work with contractors to address problem areas, officials acknowledged that Moore County’s enforcement authority is limited. Unlike some municipalities, the county does not currently have a stormwater ordinance that allows for daily fines or direct stop-work orders. As a result, the county must rely on state-level enforcement.
During the meeting and at Grow’s suggestion, Planning Chair Dexter Golden recommended that the Commission immediately create a stormwater ordinance for Metro Council approval. Though they can not use it to enforce fines at the Silicon Ranch project because they would be grandfathered in, it will protect Moore County in future projects.
The next step, Grow said, is to formally request a comprehensive site assessment by Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. If TDEC finds ongoing violations, the agency has the authority to issue Notices of Violation, impose monetary penalties, and order construction halted until erosion and stormwater controls are brought into compliance. Under a stop-work order, any permitted activity would be limited strictly to corrective measures rather than continued construction.
During the meeting, Grow estimated the site has likely been out of compliance for approximately one month. Grow also said he hoped a state site assessment could occur within the next two weeks if requested.
For now, Grow emphasized that he is continuing inspections, documenting violations, and urging residents to report any visible changes in nearby creeks, particularly discolored or muddy water. Additional updates are expected once state regulators complete their review. Any citizen who would like to report an issue, can reach out to Grown Environmental Solutions through the “contact us” tab on their website.
At the meeting, Highways Superintendent Shannon Cauble also expressed her frustration with the ongoing muddy roads and road damage near the construction site.
“We’ve had no meaningful improvement,” she stated. ” I don’t believe they’re that concerned.”•
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