A meeting will be held next week for the public to learn more about the Palisades Economic Recovery Plan. The plan is being developed by the University of Michigan’s Economic Growth Institute and local partners to help Van Buren County recover from the nuclear power plant’s closure. Market Van Buren programs manager Sarah Snoeyink tells us next week’s presentation will be on the assessment portion of the plan. Has the team already seen effects of the closure?
“We know that there’s been an outflow of people who no longer have positions at the plant and transferred with Entergy to other parts of the U.S. We’ve also heard anecdotally from some local restaurant owners that they’re concerned about the impacts that outflow of people will have on their business in the offseason.”
Snoeyink says as the plan is developed, the team has looked at other communities where nuclear power plants have closed.
“We’re also looking at other communities that have experienced other large plant closures. You can think of a primary manufacturer or even a military base.”
The Palisades Economic Recovery Plan is being developed in multiple phases. The assessment portion, which they’re on now, is the second phase. Next will be the recovery strategy. Information gathered from the public next week will be used to develop the final plan. The meeting will be next Monday on Zoom starting at 11 a.m. You can attend here.
