Former Springdale power plant to be demolished Sept. 22

A Sept. 22 implosion date has been set for the boiler house building at the former Cheswick Generating Station plant in Springdale.

Scott Reschly, vice president of operations for Charah Solutions, an environmental remediation firm and the property’s owner, said Friday the demolition of the boiler house building is planned for Friday, Sept. 22 at around 8 a.m.

He said officials will be communicating with nearby residents by going door-to-door after Labor Day with further demolition plans.

The coal-fired power plant closed in April 2022. Charah acquired the site last year to remediate and demolish the plant with the intent of making the tract suitable for another industrial use.

On Monday, a portion of the boiler building facing Cheswick was pulled down. Reschly said that was to make way for the upcoming demolition.

The Cheswick Property Environmental Redevelopment Group (a subsidiary of Charah), Controlled Demolition Inc. and Grant Mackay Co. will perform the implosion. Those same groups coordinated the June 2 implosion of the plant’s two smokestacks.

There will be road closures the day of the implosion, according to Springdale police. From about 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sept. 22, Freeport Road and Pittsburgh Street will be closed from Murrayhill Avenue in Cheswick to Colfax Street in Springdale.

Signs will be posted at the closure spots for alternate routes, and police will be on hand to direct traffic.

An “exclusion zone” will be established to prevent people from getting too close to the demolition, police said. Police ask residents to cooperate with them and contractors to promote safety.

Residents in the area will hear noise and feel vibrations, may see dust, police said.

A small amount of explosives will be used to raze the boiler house . The location around it has been cleared so contractors can safely access debris for removal, police said.

Crews will survey the area after the implosion.

In the June smokestack implosion, the smokestacks landed where they were intended to land, officials said. But a powerful burst of air from one of the towers knocked down some utility poles and power lines, causing some to lose power for a period of time.

Those whose properties were impacted by the implosion were encouraged to contact Charah to report claims. The company responded to about 150 homes, Reschly said.

It’s unclear what the future holds for the property. The property currently is listed for sale at about $10.5 million.

The borough is considering a mixed-use zoning overlay proposal, which would allow for uses not permitted in the industrial-zoned area, in spite of objections from Charah.

Company officials, at borough council meetings, advised local officials that their remediation of the property will not meet requirements for future residential use of the site.