Home Care In Cheswick, PA

CHESWICK, Pa. (KDKA) -- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is issuing a nearly $40,000 fine after an implosion at the former Cheswick power plant covered properties in dust and debris.

The DEP said Cheswick Plant Environmental Redevelopment Group, Controlled Demolition and Grant Mackay Company violated the state's Solid Waste Management Act when it demolished two smokestacks on June 2.

When the chimneys fell, the DEP says debris damaged several nearby buildings and a "thick coating" of dust covered several properties.

The debris and dust are considered waste under Pennsylvania's environmental laws and regulations and the deposition without authorization constitutes a violation, the DEP said.

Of the $39,100 penalty, $21,600 will go to Springdale for upgrades and maintenance of its parks and recreational areas. The rest will go to the state's Solid Waste Abatement Fund.

"As we pursued environmental enforcement, DEP prioritized directing the majority of the penalty money back to the community," said DEP Southwest Regional Director Jim Miller in a news release. "Springdale Borough will be able to decide how best to use these funds for park and recreation projects."

Another implosion had been scheduled for the plant's boiler house in September, but it was postponed after an injunction was filed by more than a dozen Springdale residents. The people who filed the lawsuit said the implosion of the chimneys blew out windows and caused other damage. The lawsuit said some people still can't live in their homes, and the plaintiffs also claim the implosion created health issues.

Controlled Demolition has said the 750-foot- and 552-foot-tall chimneys fell where they were supposed to, but the taller one's steel liner focused air pressure as it collapsed, causing some issues "which were quickly addressed."

Madeline Bartos

Madeline is a digital web producer for KDKA. She has worked for the station since 2019.

SPRINGDALE, Pa. —

A second building is set to come down at the former Cheswick Power Plant in Springdale in the next few weeks.

This week, the county announced the Boiler House will be imploded at the former plant on Friday, Sept. 22.

The implosion will be handled by the Cheswick Power Station property owner (CPERG), the main demolition contractor, Grant Mackay Co. and Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI), which is the explosive subcontractor.

This time, officials anticipate the implosion of the building being "larger than the implosion of the stacks," meaning a larger exclusion zone to keep people back from the site. There will also be some explosives used for the demolition.

In the press release, officials said residents may see dust, hear noises and feel vibrations."A letter will be sent to impacted residents and officials also plan to go door-to-door to notify neighbors of the plans."

Watch: Smokestacks at former Cheswick power plant imploded

"It was much worse than what we thought it was going to be," said Susan Mangel, who lives across from the plant and had a dust mess to clean up after the Stacks implosion. "Now this one, when they blow that up, I don't know what we're going to do. I really don't know what it's going to be, I'm really not looking forward to it at all. It's rather scary. I have a little 5-year-old that lives with me too, and for them to be breathing this air, it's not good."

"Living here and just knowing that this is going to occur again, it's a little bit of a haggle," said Adam Stavish, who also lives across from the plant. "I question the structure of my home after that, me being home and feeling that impact. I know how old these houses are. I'm concerned as a homeowner, five, ten years from now, are these buildings going to start crumbling up from this."

On the day of the implosion, Freeport Road and Pittsburgh Street will be shut down completely from Murrayhill Avenue in Cheswick to Colfax Street in Springdale.

Road closures are expected to last from roughly 5 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The implosion is set to happen shortly after 8 a.m. on Sept. 22, "so long as safety and precautions permit."

Springdale residents who grappled with smokestack demolition in June argue the implosion would cause air quality issues

The scheduled implosion at the Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale on Friday has been postponed as a lawsuit and court battle play out three months after the demolition of the plant’s smokestacks caused damage and affected nearby residents.

The company charged with imploding the boiler house at the former plant must hold off on placing explosives until an Allegheny County judge can hear all arguments from residents seeking to halt the demolition.

In an injunction granted Monday, Common Pleas Judge John McVay Jr. ordered the “status quo” be maintained until after a hearing that began Wednesday afternoon concludes — that is, no explosives can be placed at the site until the judge can make a final ruling. The hearing will continue on Thursday, including testimony expected from residents who were impacted by a prior implosion of two smokestacks in early June.

The county announced Wednesday evening that the implosion was postponed.

At the hearing, attorneys for Controlled Demolition, Inc., Grant Mackay and Charah Solutions, the companies who completed a prior demolition of the two towering smoke stacks at Cheswick, moved to dissolve the injunction. If the motion wasn’t granted, they asked for a bond that was more than $750,000. That was the cost that one of the managers at the site, who testified Wednesday, said it would cost the companies if the implosion of the boiler house, which was originally scheduled to happen Friday at 8 a.m., was delayed.

The cost was attributed to demobilization and remobilization of equipment, and having to transport vehicles like water trucks, and remote radios for communications between workers, according to the site manager. Judge McVay Jr. denied the motion, and kept the bond at $50,000, which was previously required for the injunction he issued Monday.

The lawsuit — filed Friday on behalf of 10 families living on Pittsburgh and Washington streets, Standard Avenue and Duquesne Court — alleges the implosion of the boiler house would “unreasonably interfere with” their right to clean air, to use and enjoy their property, and to enjoy the “natural, scenic and esthetic value of the environment.”

The concerns stem from the last implosion at the site in June. Two towering smoke stacks were brought down, sending out a blast of air and reverberations that shook the neighborhood, shattered windows, and left everything coated in a thick layer of dust and debris.

Indeed, the lawsuit includes photos of blown out windows and window frames, cracks in plaster and drywall, and bowed siding.

Multiple residents said they’ve been unable to return to their homes since the first implosion because of the damage and the continued presence of toxins. Windows in homes were blown out, and there is structural damage to multiple properties, the plaintiffs allege. Two of them, Stacey and Thomas Ansell, stated that there are cracks in their basement that have increased in size since the implosion — one from 18 inches to eight feet long.

Others said in the lawsuit they began to experience health problems in the aftermath. One woman sought treatment for wheezing, coughing, congestion and other respiratory issues, and she’s continued receiving treatment ever since. Another man sought treatment for cornea damaged caused by the dust and debris, according to the lawsuit.

Based on the last implosion, the lawsuit contends, it is clear the residents will suffer more harm from another implosion if it is allowed to go on as scheduled.

During Wednesday’s hearing, attorneys for Controlled Demolition, Charah, and Grant Mackay said there’s “insufficient legal basis” for the preliminary injunction to stand. But John Kane, a attorney for the plaintiffs, questioned how the companies estimated how much it would cost to reschedule, if the injunction stood. A site manager, who declined to be interviewed after Wednesday’s hearing, testified multiple times that he knew it would be costly based on his experience, but added that he was supplied the exact numbers by Controlled Demolition and Grant Mackay.

Mr. Kane said after the hearing that he expected the defendants to attempt to dissolve the preliminary injunction again on Thursday.

Following the June implosion, the state’s Department of Environmental Protection completed a PA Blasting and Explosive Investigation Standard Report, where it concluded that Controlled Demolition, Inc. was responsible for extensive property damage, and damage to nearby utility lines, according to the lawsuit. They determined that nine residential or commercial properties had been damaged, issuing nine citations for those.

Six citations were issued for exceeding airblast limited listed in the approved permit for the implosion, one was issued for failing to prevent flyrock, and another was written to causing damage to utility lines, the suit stated.

The first implosion followed months of decommissioning work at the site which began shortly after Cheswick — Allegheny County’s last coal-fired powerplant — stopped making power in the spring of 2022. Kentucky-based environmental remediation firm Charah Solutions Inc. took over the site from GenOn and has been removing equipment and scrap.

Charah hired Grant Mackay as the main contractor, and Controlled Demolition, Inc. as a subcontractor, officials said. Scott Reschly, vice president of operations at Charah, said that Trifecta Services was another subcontractor on-site to assist, but that that company did not have “specific oversight” of the actual implosion.

First Published September 20, 2023, 9:39am

SPRINGDALE, Pa. — As a potential second implosion at the old Cheswick Power Plant hangs in the balance, confusion over the approval process for the first demolition still looms.

“How did the permit get approved to make this happen?” asked Stacey Ansell, who lives on Washington Street.

Questions and concerns were raised during Tuesday night’s Springdale Borough Council Meeting after the first blast of the two smokestacks in June caused damage to homes and health hazards.

RELATED COVERAGE >>> Smokestacks at former Cheswick Power Plant site demolished in planned implosion

The plant’s planned second implosion is still on hold as a civil lawsuit plays out in court.

RELATED COVERAGE >>> Property owner halts Friday’s implosion as injunction hearing continues Thursday

“What is the process in place for that?” asked another Springdale resident.

Some people thought the demolition permit was never issued, but it was.

“That’s unacceptable,” Ansell said.

Council members said the borough’s building inspector approved the permits for Chara Solutions, the entity that owns the site, back in January.

“The borough council doesn’t have a say in any demolition permit if it meets what it’s supposed to meet,” said borough solicitor Craig Alexander.

Some community members think that needs to change.

That’s what the council is now working to do.

Borough Councilman Daniel Copeland suggested forming a committee made up of three council members and the borough manager to review demolition permits and other permits.

“We need to address the way we’re doing some of our business here,” Copeland said.

The council is on board with forming the committee to be more transparent. The committee would set guidelines on operating procedures that Copeland said are too vague.

“Our procedures and operating guidelines we have now are just terrible,” he said. “There’s nothing set in stone that says it has to be torn down by hammers, or machinery. It just says there’s a permit that’s issued.”

Copeland said once a permit is issued by the building inspector, their hands are pretty much tied. He’s unsure if it can be revoked.

“You can raise those questions and maybe say, hey we need to look at this,” Copeland said. “I’m not exactly sure on how that process works but that’s one of the things I’m looking into.”

The committee would also closely review ordinances and meet with companies when it comes to adjusting utility rates.

There is no timetable for when the committee will be formed. The council wants to take its time so that it’s done right.

SPRINGDALE, Pa. (KDKA) -- Another implosion is planned at the former Cheswick Power Plant in Springdale.

Allegheny County said crews are scheduled to implode the boiler house on Sept. 22 around 8 a.m. "as safety and precautions permit."

Detours and alternative travel routes will be in place around 5-11 a.m., the county said. Freeport Road and Pittsburgh Street will be completely closed from Murrayhill Avenue in Cheswick to Colfax Street in Springdale.

The county said the implosion of the building will be larger than the implosion of the stacks that were taken down in June, so there will be a larger exclusion zone around the site to keep people away.

Residents may see dust, hear noise and feel vibrations, the county said. A letter will be sent to impacted residents and officials will go door-to-door ahead of time.

When the smokestacks were imploded, some neighbors said it damaged their homes and properties. Controlled Demolition said the 750-foot- and 552-foot-tall chimneys fell where they were supposed to, but the taller one's steel liner focused air pressure as it collapsed, causing some issues "which were quickly addressed." Controlled Demolition said there was minor damage.

After the boiler house implosion on Sept. 22, the county said the contractor and subcontractor will determine whether there were any changes by using a pre-demolition photographic survey and vibration mentoring records. Pre/post-survey records will also be submitted to the state.