Nuke closures have impacted local economies, changed community character

[Marlin]

Nuke closures have impacted local economies, changed community character


http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2018/05/07/Nuke-closures-to-date-have-impacted-local-economies-changed-character-of-communities.html

[Rennhack]

File this under "Duh".

During its heyday, the complex generated $19 million a year in tax revenue for Zion’s two school districts, its local government, its library district, park district, and other services. Now, all share $1 million — but schools especially have become cash-strapped.

The school districts have raised taxes, but have slid backward in test scores. The community exodus killed property values, led to large reductions in police and fire staffing, and more crime. Property values plunged, and Zion transformed itself to a low-income community where only 3.8 percent of Lake County’s population lives but 35 percent of the county’s low-income housing vouchers are used.

Communities that have been highly dependent on revenue from their respective nuclear plants will find it’s hard to attract interest when schools struggle, crime increases, housing values go down

“We certainly saw a spike in houses for sale on the heels of the closure of the plant,” said town administrator of Vernon, Vt., where the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant that closed at the end of 2014 is located.
As host community, Vernon’s 2,100 residents were eligible for a 25 percent tax credit on their municipal and educational taxes. And the average salary of Vermont Yankee’s 600-member work force was $105,000 a year.
That’s all gone.
But even with budgets cut and taxes going up, those that haven't left have taken jobs in other parts of New England and become “weekend parents who travel great distances to work at other power plants,”

Crystal River Councilman said the plant’s closure “was a disaster as far as our local economy was concerned.”“Our city is lucky because we've had the growth of manatee tourists,”  “They’ve created lower-paying jobs, but at least they’re jobs.”
Home property values sank, especially the more expensive ones. One man who sold his house for $1.1 million when relocating for another job, then buying it back for less than half that amount when he returned to the area.

[ipregen]

and for Diablo Canyon - San Luis Obispos
"Settlement package
Despite some protest from local groups and agencies, the commission decided to uphold the recommendation of administrative Judge Peter Allen in November to not approve the settlement portion of PG&E’s application.
The commissioners all expressed sympathy for the local agencies who petitioned for a community impact program, but stressed that they felt the money for the program would be better sought through state legislation, and not from ratepayers.
“In the absence of legislation authorization, the community impact program is not approved,” Picker said.
In 2016, PG&E agreed to pay local cities, San Luis Coastal Unified School District and San Luis Obispo County an $85 million settlement package to support those agencies after the plant’s closure.

Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article194189949.html#storylink=cpy