CATLIN, Ill. (WCIA) — Tuesday night, residents in one Vermilion County village continued to sound off against a proposed solar farm.

The Village of Catlin is a part of a proposed 1,400-acre plot for renewable energy. Some residents feel it will hurt the village more than it will help.

There wasn’t any plan on the agenda to review the details, but people who live next to the land where the panels would go say they’re trying to be proactive in pushing back — before this project has a chance to even move forward.

“We found out about a proposed solar farm back in May,” said Catlin resident Tonya Hill.

Hill and her husband said they saw it in their local paper. Their house is right next to the field where she said the panels would be placed.

“We immediately began researching and asking questions,” Hill said.

And she didn’t like the answers she heard.

“Concerns are the environmental issues and then our wildlife,” Hill said. “You can’t see them right now, but if you were driving through here in the winter, you would probably see 25 to 50 deer at any time.”

Hill is worried that the habitat they currently enjoy will all be gone, and she anticipates this affecting the surrounding homes’ ability to draw water.

“There’s about 12 houses,” Hill said. “We’re all on wells and our waterways will be affected.”

She said if the project is built, there will be less runoff from rain, which would limit what their well collects. All of these factors have led Hill to try and fight against the solar farm, even before it gets going.

“We’ve been going to the township meetings, village meetings, Vermilion County Board meetings, just trying to get as much information as we can about what we can do to stop this,” Hill said.

Hill said she’s hoping the village will uphold a zoning ordinance that would allow them to control what’s built up to a mile and a half outside of city limits — something they’ve used in the past.

“Back in 1974, a group of Catlin individuals got together and banded together and kept Apex Coal Company from coming here,” Hill said. “If the village adheres to their 1.5 set back, then this is a done deal.”

WCIA reached out to Earthrise, the company who is over the project, and has not heard back from them at this time. We will share updates as we learn more.