DECOMMISSIONING,
  REMEDIATION AND
  REDEVELOPMENT
                     Many coal-fired power plants are expected to
                     close in coming years. Coal plant communities
                     are faced with potentially long-term job and
                     tax revenue loss, legacy environmental
                     contamination and the need for new economic
                     opportunities.
   Site reuse options inform
   cleanup decisions and
   should be developed early
   in the process to determine
   the appropriate level of work
   needed for redevelopment.
   Understanding the range
   of reuse options will help
   in the development of
   realistic schedules and
   cost estimates.
                     Preparing a site for reuse often is a complex, multi-year process that
                     includes decommissioning the existing power plant, cleaning up
                     contamination (e.g., in materials, soil and ground water), and creating
                     and implementing a redevelopment plan. Local leadership that is
                     committed to public involvement and the establishment of a balanced
                     and inclusive stakeholder group can guide the process by considering
                     the many factors and unique conditions of a coal plant site, along with
                     the community's redevelopment goals.
                     EPA prepared this fact sheet to help communities that may be affected
                     by the closure of coal-fired power plants. Fact sheets covering
                     stakeholder identification and facilitation, as well as financing options
                     and incentives, are also available.
                                               STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT THROUGHOUT
                                   Announce
                                 closing and stop
                                 power production.
                                                Decommissioning
                                    Remove equipment
                                     and materials.
                                   Close or comply with
                                   permits, as necessary.
                                    Demolish buildings.
                               Clean up
                             contamination to
                             support new use.
                                                                     Redevelopment
Construct new
site. Maintain
environmental
  controls.
                                The Process
                                After a plant shuts down, the site will progress through decommissioning,
                                remediation and redevelopment. Though it is not always possible, it
                                helps to know site reuse options early in the process to inform cleanup
                                decisions and determine the appropriate level of work needed in
                                each stage of the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment process.
                                Understanding the range of reuse options and needs associated
                                with each will help in the development of realistic schedules and cost
                                estimates. Time and costs associated with permits, approvals (of
                                permits, plans, funding) and public involvement should be factored into
                                redevelopment plans as well.
r/EFft
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
                        Coal Plant Decommissioning
Plant Decommissioning, Remediation and Redevelopment

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Typical Environmental
Permits at Coal-Fired
Power Plants
  • Air pollution control
  • Water withdrawal for cooling
  • Water discharge
  • Hazardous waste storage
  • Fuel storage tanks
  • Flue gas stack (Federal
   Aviation Administration)

Common Cleanup Methods
at Coal-Fired Plants
Although the extent of the
cleanup will depend on the
final land use, many common
methods are applied. For
example:
  • Asbestos, PCBs and other
   hazardous materials are
   removed from the buildings.
  • Coal ash disposal areas are
   removed or capped with a
   protective cover of soil to
   ensure the waste is
   not accessible.
  • Fuel tanks and any
   associated contaminated
   soil are removed.
  • Concrete pads and soil
   around old transformers
   and hydraulic equipment
   are tested for PCBs and
   removed if necessary.
  • Surface soil  is tested for
   mercury and other airborne
   contaminants and removed
   if necessary.
  • Soil around spills and leaks
   is tested and removed.
  • Sites with old manufactured
   gas plants could contain
   coal tar and other
   hazardous materials,
   which require special
   methods for cleanup.
Environmental permits typically specify actions to take before, during
and after closure. Plant owners must coordinate with public utility and
environmental regulators to ensure compliance with permit requirements
during the decommissioning, remediation and redevelopment process.

Decommissioning
Decommissioning begins with an announcement that the plant is closing
and ends when operations completely cease. Unlike nuclear plant
decommissioning, which the federal government strictly regulates, the
process of decommissioning a coal-fired power plant is not always clear
and may overlap with remediation and redevelopment.
Once the owner decides to close the plant, the owner should  develop
a strategy for managing the decommissioning process that serves his
or her business needs. A wide range of management strategies may be
considered, from the owner maintaining full control, to the selection of a
third party to oversee the process. The owner also may sell the property
to a developer or municipality early in the process.
During decommissioning, the electrical generating  units are shut
down and all operating permits are terminated. Any unused coal and
hazardous materials associated with both the generation process and
the buildings/structures (e.g., process chemicals, asbestos in the
building or in equipment, polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], lead) are
removed. Electrical generating equipment is cleaned and may be
removed for  use at other locations or sold as scrap. Some demolition
of buildings/structures may be performed to facilitate cleaning or
equipment removal. Power plants with onsite coal ash ponds  or solid
waste landfills must follow the federal and state permit requirements for
closure of these facilities.

Remediation
Remediation involves the investigation and  cleanup of hazardous
materials to meet federal or state requirements. It also includes defining
site-specific  needs for redevelopment. The site owner is responsible
for ensuring that the cleanup meets all regulatory requirements and
works closely with stakeholders, environmental consultants and state
environmental agencies to develop and execute  the remediation plan.
The cost and extent of the cleanup will depend on the anticipated reuse
of the site and the type and location of hazardous materials stored or
disposed on the property. For example, if industrial use is planned,
the cleanup requirements may be less stringent than what is required
for residential use, because the likelihood of direct or prolong human
exposure to contaminants will be lower. Many power plants are adjacent
to bodies of water that may contain contaminants due to power plant
operations, which must also be addressed  as part of the cleanup. The
cost of remediation can vary greatly—from  hundreds of thousands of
dollars to several million dollars or more.1
Remediation starts with collecting  soil and ground water samples to
investigate and document any contamination. Next, a plan for cleanup
is developed and, once approved by state  regulators, implemented.

Relatively few published studies discuss the costs of remediation at coal-fired
 power plants.
                                                              Coal Plant Decommissioning
                                    Plant Decommissioning, Remediation and Redevelopment

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                                  At most sites, the public is invited to comment on the cleanup plan that
                                  is proposed by the state environmental agency, who is responsible for
                                  reviewing and approving the plan.
                                  Occasionally, low levels of contamination may be left in places. In such
                                  cases, future site activities and uses may be restricted. Any restrictions
                                  on the future use of the property (due to contamination being left onsite)
                                  is documented in legal notices (e.g., land use restrictions and institutional
                                  controls that often are filed with or attached to property titles and deeds).
                                  These may include restrictions on drilling drinking-water wells or building
                                  residential dwellings. In addition, requirements to notify local authorities
                                  before digging or excavating in contaminated areas may be imposed.

                                  Redevelopment
                                  To evaluate different reuse options and facilitate a shared vision of
                                  the end result among stakeholders, redevelopment planning should
                                  start early  in the process. A shared stakeholder vision helps avoid major
                                  changes to the plan later on, which could cause delays and waste
                                  valuable resources.
                                  In addition to meeting stakeholder needs, reuse must conform to
                                  practical and legal conditions at the site. The following table describes
                                  some common considerations in planning a redevelopment project.
  Things to Consider
Who will control the site
during redevelopment?
      Examples
• Utility
• Public agency
• Private owner
          Opportunities and Challenges
  Utilities and private owners can control the reuse
  of the site within community regulations and to the
  extent that it is economically feasible.
  Public agencies may have an opportunity to
  redevelop, using a combination of both public
  and private funds and partnerships.
What amenities are
available at the site?
• Waterfront access and
 port facilities
• Natural gas lines
  and electrical
  transmission stations
• Technological
  infrastructure,
  including high-speed
  broadband access
• Visual attractiveness,
  such as open fields,
  wooded areas, river
  and ocean views
• Waterfront access can open new opportunities for
 recreation, transportation and tourism.
• Waterfronts also offer a base for offshore power
  generation and staging.
• Reuse of waterfront properties may require
  climate resiliency planning to reduce the potential
  impacts of extreme weather events.
• Existing infrastructure may attract the clean
  energy industry; the owners could restart electric
  generation with natural  gas or biomass.
• Including walking trails,  parks and event  venues,
 when possible, helps accommodate community
 needs for open spaces.
                                                                Coal Plant Decommissioning
                                     Plant Decommissioning, Remediation and Redevelopment

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Things to Consider Examples Opportunities and Challenges
Are there opportunities
for economic
development?
Are there
zoning issues?
Are there land
use restrictions?
What's the
property value?
What about vehicular
traffic and site access?
• Employment
opportunities
• Tax revenue
• Local ordinances and
overlay districts
• Historic districts
and historic building
designations
• Environmental
• State waters
and ports
• Utility easements
• Cost of cleanup
versus value of
property after
development
• Market for
redeveloped uses
• Regional and local
access to site
• Traffic and population
density patterns
• New commercial/industrial development can
add direct and indirect jobs and can create tax
revenues.
• Commercial/industrial development can stimulate
the expansion of nearby development projects.
• Redevelopment must comply with local zoning
regulations, which can limit options unless the
zoning changes.
• Some cities apply additional zoning requirements
that overlay the existing base zone.
• Historic buildings can offer unique development
opportunities but may limit options.
• Historic buildings may invoke the need to comply
with the Historic Preservation Act.
• Reuse options may be limited in areas with soil
and ground water contamination.
• Regulations may limit the redevelopment of land
adjacent to water.
• Utility companies may restrict access or use
in areas with existing natural gas, electrical
transmission and water utilities.
• The value of the property after redevelopment
must be balanced against the cost of
decommissioning, remediation and
redevelopment.
• The proposed use of the site must be realistic and
address community needs. Communities should
consider performing a market analysis to identify
viable options for redevelopment and to inform
reuse decisions.
• Industrial development will require transportation
of raw materials and finished goods. Suitable
roads, rail and ports must be available.
• If reuse increases public access, adjacent
neighborhoods must be able to accept
increased traffic.
                         Coal Plant Decommissioning
Plant Decommissioning, Remediation and Redevelopment

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                                  References
                                  Salem Harbor Power Station - Revitalization Task Force Report.
                                  Available at:
                                  http://www.mass.gov/eea/energy-utilities-clean-tech/salem-harbor.
                                  The Electric Power Research Institute's Decommissioning Handbook for
                                  Coal-Fired Power Plants (2004). Available at:
                                  http://www.epri.com/search/Pages/results.
                                  aspx?k=Decommissioning%20Handbook%20for%20Coal-Fired%20
                                  Power%20Plants
                                  The American Clean Skies Foundation's Repurposing Legacy Power
                                  Plants: Lessons for the Future (August 2011). Available at:
                                  http://www.cleanskies.org/?publication=repurposing-legacy-power-
                                  plants-lessons-for-the-future
                                  Delta Institute's Transforming Coal Plants into Productive Community
                                  Assets (2014). Available at:
                                  http://delta-institute.org/2015/01/what-happens-to-a-coal-plant-after-
                                  it-closes
EPA Publication #560-F-16-003
r/EFft
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
                          Coal Plant Decommissioning
Plant Decommissioning, Remediation and Redevelopment

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