Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps is asking both sides to come through the sheriff’s department if a problem develops between workers and the public over construction activity at the large solar farm northwest of Salem.
The construction site is shut down this week with General Contractor Alberici telling Marion County officials they are developing safety plans after incidents that occurred last Thursday.
Cripps is asking residents or those who are traveling through the area of Hoots Chapel and Boone Street Road to call his office if they are having difficulties with the workers and deputies will respond to try and work out the problem. He says if a truck is involved in causing damage to their property to try and get their license plate number so the correct party can be addressed. Likewise, he’s asking construction company workers to address any problems with the public through his office and not to take on the issue themselves.
Cripps says it is totally unacceptable and unlawful for one side to threaten the other with bodily harm. He notes the workers are there to do a job and if something gets torn up it will be fixed.
Two incidents reported Friday brought the safety concern to the forefront. Cripps says two representatives of the construction company came to the sheriff’s department on Friday to report a Thursday incident where an employee guiding the semi trucks was approached by an older man who advised he had guns at home with armor piercing rounds and stated he was going to shoot the semi trailers as they drove by. On Thursday night, the company reported one of their employees driving home pulled over on US 50 near Iuka when a vehicle behind him flashed his lights. A person got out of the vehicle that stopped him and punched him in the mouth through the car window. The construction worker then got out of his vehicle and struck the man who had attacked him.
Cripps said one construction official indicated he was tired of the situation and was going back home to Florida and would not return.
Cripps has suggested Alberici add more cameras to the 500-acre work site to help track any issues. The sheriff is hoping if they can work with both sides to resolve any disputes so the $15-million construction project can go smoother.
The county board was earlier told that the project would involve the installation of 300,000 solar panels to supply electricity to 20,000 homes. An average of 200 will be on the job site over the next 18 months.
Meanwhile, Marion County Road and Bridge Committee Co-Chair Adam Smith says Alberici has now provided the same $75,000 payment and $1.5-million bond to Salem Township to repair damages to the Boone Street Road they had earlier given Marion County for repairs to the Hoots Chapel Road.
