ST CLAIR COUNTY, MI (WOWO) Officials in St. Clair County are continuing a legal fight centered on claims that large-scale solar farms and battery storage facilities could pose public health risks.
The county’s health department adopted regulations asserting that renewable energy projects may create harmful noise, visual pollution, and possible contamination concerns. The county’s medical director argued that such impacts could affect residents’ well-being and justified stricter local limits on where and how projects operate.
County leaders said the measures were intended to protect communities from prolonged exposure to industrial-scale energy facilities in rural areas. The rules specifically targeted utility-scale solar arrays and battery storage installations.
DTE Energy challenged the regulations in court, arguing the health claims were not supported by scientific or medical evidence. A circuit court judge struck down the county’s rules earlier this month.
Despite that ruling, the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to appeal. The dispute comes as state law allows the Michigan Public Service Commission to override local zoning decisions for renewable energy projects.
Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, have criticized the county’s position, calling the health arguments unsupported and inconsistent with statewide clean energy goals.
The case is expected to continue through the appeals process, according to Bridge Michigan.
