Zinc Leaching and Flooding Concerns Dominate Testimony at Will County Solar Hearing

Will County Board Special Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | May 12, 2026

Article Summary: Expert and resident testimonies during Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting highlighted severe concerns over groundwater contamination and flooding if a 6,000-acre solar farm is built on hydric soils.

Environmental Impact Key Points:

• A Will-South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District report (NRI #5824) classified the site as “essential farmland” with a LESA score of 236.

• Approximately 2,152 acres of the proposed site contain hydric soils that present a high risk for steel corrosion.

• A foundation drilling expert testified that driving raw galvanized steel posts into hydric soil could cause rapid corrosion, risking zinc leaching into local aquifers.

• Residents from Green Garden Township presented video evidence of existing severe flooding on parcels adjacent to the proposed solar arrays.

A debate over soil chemistry, galvanized steel, and floodplains took center stage at the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, as residents and experts warned of potential environmental disasters from the proposed Earthrise solar project.

During the court-ordered cross-examination hearing, plaintiffs focused heavily on Natural Resource Information Report #5824, prepared by the Will-South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District. The report calculated a Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) score of 236 for the property—classifying it as essential farmland—and noted that approximately 2,152 acres of the site consist of hydric soils.

Crucially, the report indicated that the site presents a “high” risk for steel corrosion. Plaintiff Attorney Steven Becker questioned Earthrise developers on their plan to drive an estimated 300,000 bare galvanized steel posts into the ground to support the 1.19 million solar modules.

To support the plaintiffs’ claims, Melissa Eager, an operating engineer with 30 years of experience in the caisson drilling industry, testified about the dangers of placing untreated steel into wet soils.

“Anything put into ground that is wet is going to eventually leach out,” Eager testified. “A pinhole into that galvanization will corrode… when put in a hydric soil or wet locations it’s usually anywhere from 3 to 5 years.”

Eager suggested that the posts should be coated in epoxy or encased in concrete. However, she warned that using heavy machinery to encase thousands of posts in concrete would heavily compact the area’s silty loam soil, creating a “hard pan” that would drastically increase surface erosion and water runoff.

Earthrise Lead Developer Robert Kalbouss and attorney Ben Jacobi refuted the claims, relying on prior testimony from their environmental scientist, Dr. Chris Olsen. Jacobi stated that any leaching from the galvanized steel would be minimal and isolated directly next to the pile, posing no threat to crops or groundwater.

“There is no evidence of or documented evidence of steel piles from solar facilities leaching into the groundwater. It doesn’t exist,” Jacobi said. “We don’t believe that our construction methods pose a risk to public health or agriculture.”

The potential for exacerbated runoff struck a nerve with neighboring property owners. Green Garden Township residents Jim Michalewicz and Donna Robinson presented photographs and video footage showing substantial standing water and flooding on their properties, which abut the proposed solar parcels.

Robinson showed video of her yard flooding on three sides, noting that neighboring landowners had failed to maintain culverts, causing water to back up onto her property. She expressed deep concern that industrial development on the adjacent fields would push even more water into her yard.

Becker underscored these concerns, pointing out that the Earthrise project footprint sits near the headwaters of Fork Creek, Prairie Creek, and Hickory Creek. He warned the commission that any groundwater contamination could easily travel into these tributaries, potentially violating the federal Clean Water Act.