A Vision for the Future: Repurposing a Mine to Benefit East Texas City Former surface coal mines are taking on all sorts of new lives. Many are turned into farmland and natural areas that support wildlife. In November 2019, Luminant’s 4,857-arcre Monticello Thermo Mine, which supplied lignite coal for electric generation from the late 1970s until its closure in 2016, was given to the city of Sulphur Springs, which is in Northeast Texas. Once Luminant is finished with the reclamation process, the city will be in the clear to create public spaces – including jogging paths, a community pond, and an amphitheater – and industrial zones to help with its economy. “There is still a lot to be done out there before its final approval,” said Brent Elliott, Ph.D., Director of the Railroad Commission’s Surface Mining and Reclamation. “Luminant is working hard to make these things a reality to provide a resource for the community in the future.” ENERGY NEWS
6
Before a vision for a property can become a reality, the RRC ensures that any reclamation work done at former surface coal mines is held to the highest standards and is protective of public safety and the environment before being released from its oversight. RRC staff is currently conducting a technical analysis of Luminant’s revised reclamation plans, which take into account the city’s intended uses for the property. Each phase of the reclamation work will be closely monitored and evaluated by RRC inspectors, and before any property is released, extensive soil testing must come back verifying its ability to support vegetation. The city of Sulphur Springs annexed the Monticello Thermo land, valued at $8.89 million, into its city limits in March 2020.
