One green energy tool that was supposed to save us from environmental catastrophe could be causing a mini-catastrophe of its own.
A major hailstorm battered thousands of solar panels in Fort Bend County, Texas, and now local residents are worried about the environmental risk posed by the leaking panels.
The hailstorm struck the community on Saturday, pelting the area with golf ball-sized ice clusters.
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The ABC affiliate in Houston reported that large solar farms, such as the one devastated by the storm, typically use panels made with cadmium telluride.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, cadmium telluride is a toxic substance that can cause kidney, heart, skin, and lung issues.
The company that owns the farm declined to identify what type of panels it uses.
A Rice University physics professor told the outlet that the risk was small because panels are usually very durable. He added that even if there is a leak, the risk is likely small because the toxin would not have reached the groundwater yet.
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However, local residents wanted more proof as hazmat and environmental regulators swept through the area.
“That’s what we take a shower with, we drink with,” resident Nick Kaminski said. “It could be in our water now.”
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