Planning for the long-term

What To Do With The Site

Sometimes, the property upon which a closed surface mine or power plant sits can become a tremendous asset for a community. While there will no-doubt be many great ideas about how to turn the site into something beneficial, it is critical to take your time, engage the community in discussion, and examine all options carefully.

1. ‍Understand different perspectives. Depending on the plans for a mine or plant after closure, the property’s owners can face significant expense in terms of post-closure remediation. Ensuring that both community and property owners understand each other’s desires and perspectives can lead to a shared solution that benefits all.
2. ‍Value the public process. Although tension may exist, engaging all community stakeholders to discuss future plans for the site will ultimately build greater trust and confidence between the community and site owners, making it much more likely that all parties will be able to agree on a suitable new use for the site.
3. ‍Consider the questions. Your community and the site owner will need to consider a number of questions, and they’ll all need to be answered. The most common ones include:

• What’s the history of the facility and how might it be honored?
• What uses might help replace lost jobs or revenue?
• How might reuse of this facility work with the community’s broader economic development goals?
• How much authority does the utility have to facilitate redevelopment efforts?
• What are the policy goals of local/regional/state governments that will factor into the redevelopment/reuse plan?
• Who’s going to pay for the redevelopment/reuse? (Note: Many different kinds of funding will be necessary.)‍

1. ‍Consider the eco assets. Some power plants or mines own significant buffer lands that can be used for conservation easements, wetland protection or mitigation, or other purposes to offset environmental impacts of the plant or mine or the redevelopment of the site.