Erosion Control Challenges on Virginia Utility Scale Solar Sites
This one-hour presentation details the industry terminology, planning and uses of Erosion Control BMP products for successful use in design and implementation; as well as helping with compliance on E&SC challenges and problem areas during construction. Also discussed is establishing long term sustainable vegetation as a substantial part of E&SC. While the information could be pertinent to any construction jobsite, the presentation is framed around the growing renewable energy focus of utility scale solar and some of the lessons learned from past challenging sites in the Mid-Atlantic states. Objectives approached throughout the presentation include: • Native Seed Mixes versus Reclamation Seed Mixes and their functions. • Soil testing parameters when establishing native and reclamation mixes. • Vegetative management plans and their importance, including long term fertility. • Trackout control for vehicles and haul road design products. • Innovative Silt Fence options for effective perimeter control. • Examples of erosion control devices that help control sheet flow. • Understanding RECP & TRM products, examples for channel protection and more. • Tied Concrete Block Examples for value engineering design. • Effective Hydroseeding techniques for solar sites.Author Bio
About the Presenter: Joe Belmonte is the Business Development Manager for Environmental Construction Solutions. He has been in the construction products industry for nearly two decades, with a focus on turfgrass and erosion control for the last eleven years. Joe is a Certified by Virginia DEQ as a Program Administrator for Erosion & Sediment Control and Stormwater. A board member of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of IECA, he has been published in Stormwater magazine and routinely speaks at regional industry conferences. Joe has worked with engineers, municipalities and contractors on some of the Mid-Atlantic’s most challenging erosion jobsites including landfills, transmission and pipelines, solar farms, streambank and mine reclamations.
