COAL PLANT
DECOMMISSIONING
STAKEHOLDER
IDENTIFICATION
AND FACILITATION
Successful redevelopment
of former power requires
early and continued
stakeholder involvement,
and a leader or facilitator
to help the process move
smoothly with unified
purpose and vision.
Many coal-fired power plants are expected
to close in the coming years. The impacts on
surrounding communities may include job
and tax revenue loss, legacy environmental
contamination and the need for new economic
opportunities.
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities and other
stakeholders to work together to assess, safely clean up and sustainably
reuse brownfields. The revitalization of brownfields, including former
power plants, can create benefits for communities.
Effective community revitalization depends on strong, local leadership
and vibrant community involvement. Successful redevelopment of former
power plants and other brownfields within a community requires that
interested and affected stakeholders become involved as early in the
process as possible. A leader or facilitator for the stakeholder group will
help the process move along smoothly, with unified purpose and vision.
EPA prepared this fact sheet to help communities that may be affected
by the closure of coal-fired power plants. Fact sheets covering plant
decommissioning, remediation and redevelopment, and financing
options and incentives are also available.
STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT THROUGHOUT
Identify Stakeholders
Select Facilitator
Initial Stakeholder Event
Decommissioning
Permit Process Participation
Stakeholder Engagement Events
Community Outreach
Interim and Final Progress Reports
Redevelopment
Identifying and Engaging Stakeholders
Stakeholders include people and organizations who are affected by a
plant's decommissioning and redevelopment. Stakeholders can assist or
impede the implementation of decisions made by the local government
and private sector. Public participation in local decision-making is
essential to the brownfields' redevelopment process. Local leaders need
to establish a balanced and inclusive stakeholder group as part of its
process to evaluate redevelopment alternatives. The stakeholder group
should include representatives from the current site ownership, the local
neighborhood or affected community surrounding the property and others
with an interest in addressing important topics such as reuse options, jobs,
r/EFft
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Coal Plant Decommissioning
Stakeholder Identification and Facilitation
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Stakeholders Involved
in Redevelopment
• Site owner
- Utility company
• Elected officials
• Community groups
• Residents
• Labor unions
• Remediation experts
• Redevelopment experts
• Financial community
- Foundations
environmental issues, tax revenue and the effects on adjacent properties
and neighborhoods. It is important to include within any stakeholder group
people and organizations that expressed concern about or played a part in
the closure of the plant.
Reaching out to stakeholders and keeping them involved throughout the
process will help reveal public concerns, aid in developing consensus
among affected parties, and contribute to efficient and effective solutions
in an open, inclusive way. Identifying stakeholders may require several
methods of outreach. Local neighborhood foundations, Community
Development Corporations and the local chamber of commerce are
good places to gather lists of existing citizen and business groups.
Stakeholders will lead the redevelopment process discussion. For an open
and transparent discussion, stakeholder group meetings should be open
to the public and well publicized in advance. Notices in local and regional
newspapers can effectively reach the public and can help publicize
meetings, as well as notices posted in community halls and on community
websites. Other ways to effectively engage stakeholders and the public
include site tours, workshops, roundtable discussions, charrettes, Q&A
sessions and open houses that provide an opportunity
to ask questions of experts and local decision-makers.
Organizing and Coordinating Activities
The roles and expectations of stakeholders should be clearly defined
early in the process. Successful community engagement depends on
stakeholders being committed to the process rather than to a specific
outcome. Not everyone's initial ideas will be part of the final plan. A
well-organized stakeholder group will develop timelines for outcomes
and decisions early in the process and remain committed to meeting
milestones and deadlines.
Good decision-making is based on reliable, objective and trustworthy
data that is readily available to all stakeholders. Information, such as site
assessments, maps, market studies, cost estimates and regulations,
provides valuable insight for analyzing redevelopment options. Sometimes,
experts may be needed to provide context for the data in the community.
In addition to technical resources, stakeholders should have access
to meeting agendas and minutes and to a primary contact for further
information. Social media and community websites can effectively make
resources available to the public.
Facilitating the Process
A stakeholder group needs an effective facilitator to lead the stakeholder
discussions and assist participants in focusing on the end result. The
facilitator also should oversee the administrative aspects of community
involvement. Community leaders should choose an objective, neutral
facilitator who will not impose his or her opinions on the group. The
facilitator should maintain a broad perspective but should also challenge
assumptions, act as a catalyst for effective discussion, generate optimism
and help the group connect with similar efforts to gain from lessons learned
and apply best practices.
Outside facilitators (third-party persons not connected directly to the
sponsoring agency or other stakeholders at the table) are usually best,
because they can provide objective leadership to the process. Check with
your local EPA Brownfields office or other economic development authority
to find a facilitator who has expertise in dealing with community groups
and redeveloping industrial properties.
r/EBV
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Coal Plant Decommissioning
Stakeholder Identification and Facilitation
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References
There are many excellent references available to communities
interested in developing a stakeholder group to navigate the complex
redevelopment process. EPA's OPEI Stakeholder Involvement & Public
Participation Manual (EPA-100-R-00-040) provides an introduction to the
principles of public participation programs and key lessons learned in
the field.
Chapter 3 of the EPA Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to
Restore and Protect Our Waters (EPA 841-B-08-002) is a practical guide
to building successful stakeholder teams focused on a particular issue.
Similar to redevelopment projects, watersheds affect many different
stakeholders across a broad geographic area.
Fisk and Crawford Reuse Task Force
In 2012, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed Delta Institute to
facilitate a multi-sector task force to forge a consensus on guiding
principles for redevelopment of the recently decommissioned Fisk
and Crawford coal-fired power plants. Engaging in formalized
community outreach, the task force delivered valuable insight into
community needs to the city and potential developers. Resulting from
the dialogue of diverse interest groups, the task force brokered a
consensus agreement among various stakeholders who outlined key
elements of a successful remediation and redevelopment. As a result
of this process, the plants are now poised for redevelopment, and there
is a clear, long-term vision for reuse. A summary of the process and
outcomes of the Fisk and Crawford Reuse Task Force is available at
http://delta-institute.org/past-projects.
Figure 1: Fisk and Crawford Reuse Task Force members tour one of the
decommissioned coal plants as part of the engagement process.
EPA Publication # 560-F-16-005
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Coal Plant Decommissioning
Stakeholder Identification and Facilitation
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