Red Brick and the Environment
Solar Energy and Stormwater
Stormwater and runoff management is regulated at the federal, state, and local level. Existing laws and regulations will govern Red Brick. Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Southside Soil and Water Conservation District will review Red Brick’s engineering to minimize run-off and the flow of sediment into nearby waterways or neighboring properties, both during construction and during operations.
A licensed third-party engineer will design the applications for Red Brick’s state and local permits. The application will include a full analysis of the project’s anticipated impacts to water flow, considering the hydrology and topography of the project site and the specifics of the project’s design, and it will propose a set of best practice management techniques to ensure runoff from the project does not impact neighbors, existing infrastructure, or waterways. Construction of the project will not begin until the DEQ has approved the Stormwater Management Plan. The authorities will not approve Red Brick’s construction until they confirm that the design and engineering conform with all state laws and regulations, including providing for the appropriate controls to protect nearby waterways and neighboring property.
Red Brick Solar is anticipated to be designed as a set of solar panel clusters on private land in Lunenburg County, utilizing the flattest land possible. In some cases, grading will be necessary to address localized topographic issues during construction, but Red Brick will avoid making any fundamental changes to the topography of the project site. Though preliminary designs are in process, the grading plan has not yet been finalized. Consideration of the final grading plan will be included in Lunenburg county’s site plan approval and land disturbance permitting prior to construction.