When Coal Plants Shut Down, What Happens Next?
Read this article for a fascinating look at the environmental impact that changes in an industry can have. While many would argue that the shift away from coal as an energy source is good for the environment, one must also consider the lasting impact coal plants can have on the environment even after they have closed.
From plants to parks
Henderson thinks companies and municipal governments have an added responsibility to develop former coal plants into public spaces for nearby residents, since residents – like the largely Latino immigrant families near the Chicago plants – suffered the brunt of the plants' air pollution for so long.
Midwest Generation spokesman Doug McFarlan said the company does not want to own the two Chicago sites for long, and while it's too early to speculate on new uses, "we are pleased that the city has said it will take a leadership role to bring together appropriate stakeholders to consider the art of the possible and how to make it happen".
McFarlan noted that at the Chicago sites, as at many coal plants, there is transmission infrastructure that will remain operational even after the plants close – complicating redevelopment or reuse plans.
The NRDC and the non-profit group Openlands are in discussions with Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott about the future of the State Line plant site. McDermott said he has also been having fruitful talks with officials from plant owner Dominion about using the site for green space.
FirstEnergy spokesman Mark Durbin said local officials contacted the company about future site uses after the January announcement that six old FirstEnergy coal plants in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland will close by September 2012. One of these is the Bay Shore on the shores of Lake Erie, which opponents have dubbed the "bass-o-matic" since its open cooling system kills about 46 million fish each year. As with the State Line plant, advocates say the proximity to one of the Great Lakes makes contamination a more serious concern.
"We've had initial outreach from local municipalities looking at the potential for redevelopment down the road, very preliminary discussions," Durbin said. "We try to be as good a neighbor as possible".