A state Superior Court judge in Ocean County has delayed the trial date on a case that may decide whether Six Flags Great Adventure can clearcut more than 18,000 trees in order to create a solar energy facility off Reed Road in Jackson.
According to a press release from the New Jersey Sierra Club, the club and other environmental groups are in litigation against approvals granted by the Jackson Township Council and the Jackson Planning Board.
The Sierra Club said the delay “is a victory for now because it may help persuade Six Flags/KDC Solar to listen to public opinion or be persuaded by market conditions to drop the proposal.
“We believe Six Flags’ plan is flawed given that there are plenty of alternatives they could take that do not harm the environment, sacrifice wildlife habitat, or add to storm water runoff. If their plan was to put these (solar energy) panels on developed land to begin with, there would not have been this lengthy process and they would already have solar.”
Jeff Tittel, the director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said, “The judge delaying our trial against the Six Flags/KDC Solar clear-cut of 66 acres is good for us because it gives us more time to stop this environmentally destructive proposal.
“… While we support green energy, this proposal is a black eye for the environment. Instead of putting solar on already disturbed sites, like their parking lot, they are proposing to remove 18,000 trees that help protect endangered species and headwaters for two Category 1 streams,” he said.
The proposed location for the solar energy facility is east of the safari park and sits on more than 66 acres which is mostly forested, according to the press release.
“Even though Jackson has approved this plan, we are challenging their decision because the Planning Board ignored their own Conservation Zone. This area is clearly environmentally sensitive, contains threatened and endangered species, and protects water quality,” Tittel said.
“This delay is a step to help protect more than 18,000 trees in a Pinelands forest. We urge Six Flags and KDC Solar to drop this proposal because they can put solar on their parking lot, staging and ticket areas, existing buildings, or other disturbed areas without threatening environmentally sensitive land,” he added.
