Springdale power plant shuts down, demolition work to begin

Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale is shutting down today after more than 50 years of operation.

It was the the last coal-fired electric power plant in Allegheny County. Commissioned in 1970, it produced 565 megawatts of electricity.

Charah Solutions Vice President Scott Reschly said Charah will take possession of the plant as early as next week after the plant ceases electrical generation operation. Reschly anticipates remediation work to begin by mid-April.

Work will include asbestos abatement, plant demolition and recycling of materials, such as copper and structural steel.

The work will take 18 to 24 months, Reschly said.

“From there, we would see other options of what the site becomes next,” he said.

West Penn Power spokesperson Todd Meyers said the closure will not affect the electric utility company.

GenOn Holdings announced in June that the plant would close permanently in September, later delaying the closure to April. At the time, the company blamed the closure on “unfavorable economic conditions, higher costs, including those associated with environmental compliance, an inability to compete with other generation types and evolving market rules that promote subsidized sources.”

News of the closure last July was met with mixed feelings by community members, who either mourned the loss of jobs or celebrated the end of a coal-burning plant and related environmental concerns.

More than 50 jobs will be lost.

Charah Solutions, based in Louisville, purchased the plant in December. The firm specializes in remediation of coal-fired power stations.

In January, Charah announced its plans to demolish the plant and the potential use the 56-acre property for renewable energy and battery storage options.

The agreement includes the purchase of surrounding GenOn properties — the Lefever Ash Landfill, located 3 miles northwest of the power plant, and the Monarch Wastewater Treatment Facility, located on 7 acres in the borough and in Springdale Township.

A Charah subsidiary, Charah Environmental Redevelopment Group, will be responsible for the shutdown and decommissioning of the plant, the remediation of the two ash ponds and performing all environmental remediation and redevelopment work at the site.

Reschly said the surrounding areas will follow a similar timeline of remediation and construction as the plant site. He said there are no set plans for what will become of the two ash ponds or landfill.

There are plans to design a closure system for the landfill, which would take six months for completion of engineering work and a year of construction to close the landfill, he said.

“We are now exploring options for that land,” Reschly said.

This is Charah’s fifth major Environmental Risk Transfer project and the second major project with GenOn.

As Charah prepares for its project, Reschly said the firm looks forward to working in the area.

“We want to express our excitement to be working in Allegheny County and be a part of the overall transition of the plant into something sustainable in its next phase of life. We are excited to be a part of the community there,” he said.