Our Reuse Planning
Creating a Safe, Beneficial,
and Community-Supported Future
The Multistate Environmental Response Trust (Multistate Trust) is responsible for positioning the Site for safe, beneficial reuse. Community members and other stakeholders are encouraged to share ideas for future uses of the Site. To recommend potential uses or express an interest in the Site’s reuse, please contact us.
Collaboration and Stakeholder Partnerships
Limited funding currently hampers Site environmental investigations and redevelopment planning. Partnerships with beneficiaries and stakeholders play an important role in the Multistate Trust’s planning for the Site’s future.
The Multistate Trust, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and other partners are supporting Lincoln County with evaluating possible future uses for the Caselton Mill Site (Operable Unit 4) and surrounding area. Possibilities include renewable energy generation, historic preservation, recreation, and tourism. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also conducting Environmental Site Assessments at and near the mill site through its Targeted Brownfields Assessment Program.
Renewable Energy
Abandoned mines cleanup and renewable energy development are high-priority goals for the State of Nevada. The Caselton Mill Site is ideally situated for solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery installation, especially because it is immediately adjacent to the Lincoln County Power District No. 1 substation.
Solar energy generation and suitability are currently being assessed through the EPA’s RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative and The Nature Conservancy’s Mining the Sun Initiative. The Nature Conservancy is focused on making it easier to set up renewable energy facilities on already developed sites across Nevada, rather than on healthy, undeveloped lands that are important for clean water, open space, and wildlife.
Historic Preservation and Tourism
The Site has a rich history within the Pioche Mining District. Preserving the mill site buildings and the area’s historical mining legacy supports local tourism and the economic vitality of the surrounding community.
Property Disposition
The transfer, sale, or disposition of all or any portion of the Site must be approved by the NDEP and EPA, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Justice, as provided in the Tronox Bankruptcy settlement documents that govern the Multistate Trust.
Spotlight:
Operable Unit 2 Land Transfer
Operable Unit 2 (OU2) is located in the Caselton Heights subdivision. In 2018, after determining no cleanup was required in residential yards, the Multistate Trust subdivided some of its patented mining claims in OU2 into multiple lots. The lots were surveyed and subdivided, and the Multistate Trust transferred the land under each residential home to the owner of that home. Remaining undeveloped lots were transferred to Lincoln County. This transfer allowed individuals to finally own the land beneath their homes.