Former Coal Plant Now Powering Redevelopment Utilizing a Former Power Plant Site for Community Recreation and Collective Memory in Sheridan, Wyoming Project Summary Community: Sheridan, Wyoming Technical Assistance: Site Reuse Design Former Use: Power Plant Future Use: Recreation and Community Park The former Acme Power Plant site is located approximately 10 miles outside of Sheridan, Wyoming. Built in 1910, the former power plant was originally owned and operated by a local utility company and served many of the local coal mines, coal camps, the City of Sheridan, and the Sheridan Railway Company. Adjacent to the site is the 40-acre Acme town site with about 100 homes, a company store, and school to service the local workforce. As the coal mines became less productive and eventually shuttered, the power plant and adjacent town site was transferred to private ownership in 1977. The site was acquired by the Sheridan County Conservation District (SCCD) in 2017 with plans to oversee remediation and develop partnerships with stakeholders for long-term use of the site. The Community's Challenge Since 1977, the former power plant site was used for various auto salvage, battery recycling, and other car related uses that left the site needing environmental remediation. With the relatively remote location outside of town, the site has attracted unsafe activities, including trespassing and vandalism. SCCD intended to clean up and redevelop the site for community use and partner with other stakeholders to take over long term stewardship and operations of the site. EPA's Land Revitalization Technical Assistance The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Brownfield and Land Revitalization (OBLR) and EPA Region 8 provided contractor technical assistance to SCCD to support the site reuse planning for the former Acme Plant site. Kansas State University Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) coordinated a robust community engagement workshop in 2017 that focused on recreational and educational uses of the site. SCCD then requested additional technical assistance from EPA Region 8 to build upon the visioning process to create a conceptual site plan for reuse. Previous environmental site assessments found asbestos throughout the building, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination, and various debris and scrap pieces of car parts and batteries on the site from previous power generation and auto-related uses. SCCD is currently working to address contamination on site and determined for safety purposes that the Acme Plant building would likely need to be removed or partially deconstructed. The final reuse plan was based upon local and environmental conditions and stakeholder feedback from a Working Group established during previous visioning work. The plan describes utilizing the site as a community recreation and boating park to provide access to the Tongue River which winds through the site and connects to other locations. The plan includes three alternatives with varying levels of retaining the structural elements of the Acme Plant for historic and cultural interpretation. With this reuse plan in hand, SCCD can ensure this historic site remains a piece of local history, open to community access, and a safe place for visitors and residents to enjoy. \ ^ Illustration of final reuse plan for former Acme Power Plant For more information, contact Barbara Benoy, EPA Region 8 Brownfields Program, at Benov.Barbara@epa.gov. United States Environmental Protection ^*^1 M * Agency Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization 560-F-23-337 ------- |