The Sheridan County Conservation District was awarded a $2500 grant from the Wyoming Community Foundation through the Sheridan-Johnson Community Foundation Endowment Fund. The grant will be used to support outreach efforts associated with the Acme Power Plant Reclamation Project.
The Acme Power Plant Reclamation Project is a community effort to address environmental and safety concerns at the former Acme Power Plant located along the Tongue River. The purpose is to make the site suitable for public use in the future. While specific future uses have not been determined, expectations for future use, which include protecting water and land quality, ensuring public access, and capturing the historical importance for the site. Input from earlier discussions has heavily favored some form of outdoor recreation.
As part of this effort, SCCD assumed ownership of the 5+ acre site for participation in federal and state remediation programs. Contamination of surface soils, groundwater, sediments, and building materials were identified during initial environmental assessments in 2017. Some site stabilization activities were completed in October 2018, with the intention of preventing further contamination of the river and surrounding areas and to improve site safety for future assessment activities. Detailed site assessments are currently underway. Assessment activities include risk determinations for exposure to asbestos fibers, soil core sampling, groundwater monitoring, and collecting surface water samples from the adjacent Tongue River. Information from these assessments will be used to develop alternatives with cost estimates for addressing environmental concerns at the site.
The funds from the Wyoming Community Foundation will be used to assist with outreach and coordination associated with assessment and planning activities in 2020.