We Energies Buying Up Properties Around Oak Creek Plant

Officials with We Energies have been buying property along County Line Road near the Oak Creek Power Plant.

Brian Manthey, a spokesman for We Energies, said they have purchased eight homes around the plant near the main entrance and surrounding area since 2009.

A number of properties in the immediate area have elevated levels of molybdenum, according to a story published in 2010 in the Journal Times.

High levels of molybdenum, a naturally occurring metal and also a byproduct of coal combustion, in private wells near the We Energies Oak Creek power plant has left several nearby residents dependent on bottled water for more than a year.

That was two years ago, but Manthey said the decision to buy the properties didn’t have anything to do with the molybdenum levels.

“Some of those have been above the standards and some have been below,” he said.

Shorewest Realty currently has five other properties listed for sale on County Line Road just off of Douglas Avenue and one of them has an offer to purchase. We Energies also bought one of those properties last month, according to county documents.

 “We’re not actually approaching people to purchase their properties. There have been properties that have gone on to the market that made sense to purchase,” Manthey said. “It’s a busy area and there are trucks coming in and out from that entrance. It’s been a significant change and it made sense to buy these properties if they became available.”