The strange deal that created a ghost town

The strange deal that created a ghost town Harmon Leon The small Ohio town of Cheshire was bought almost in its entirety by a nearby coal-fired power plant after residents complained about pollution An infamous blue plume of pollution from one of the US's largest coal-fired plants changed the course of history for one once-thriving town. In 2002, American Electric Power, who owned the Gavin plant at the time, agreed to buy the entire town for $20m after residents complained about air pollution problems – blue plumes containing sulphuric acid that were emerging from the power plant's smoke stacks and enshrouded the surrounding area. "It didn't feel upsetting to them that there was going to be a plant right next to the town," says Morgenstern. You've got people from the area who are fighting to keep the power plant online because it's the economic engine of the county – Neil Waggoner "We're dealing with enormous amounts of coal ash – just the legacy of how much of these chemicals are going to be left in the water, in the ground, long term health consequences," says Morgenstern.