Street closures set for upcoming implosion at former Cheswick Generating Station

Preparations are underway for next week’s implosion of the boiler house at the former Cheswick Generation Station in Springdale.

On Sept. 22 at 8 a.m. or soon thereafter, the former Cheswick Power Station’s boiler house will be felled through a controlled use of explosives.

Handling the implosion are the Cheswick Property Environmental Redevelopment Group (a subsidiary of the property’s owner, Charah Solutions); Grant Mackay Co., the main demolition contractor; and Controlled Demolition Inc., the explosive subcontractor.

The plant was Allegheny County’s last operational coal-fired power plant and closed permanently in April 2022. Charah Solutions of Louisville, Ky., acquired the site last year to demolish and remediate the plant with the intention of making it suitable for another industrial use.

On June 2, the plant’s two smokestacks, which stood about 550 and 750 feet tall, were felled. Crews pulled down a portion of the boiler house Aug. 28 to make way for its Sept. 22 demolition.

Traffic

Roads will be closed from about 5 to 11 a.m. Sept. 22, according to Springdale police. The following roadways will be shut down at 5 a.m.: Lincoln, Murrayhill, Standard, Maxwell, South and North Duquesne avenues; Mellon and Mills alleys; Grant, Garfield, Porter and Chestnut streets; and Duquesne Court.

From 5 to 7 a.m., people will be allowed to leave, but at 7 a.m., no one will be permitted to come or go, police said. At 7 a.m., Pittsburgh Street from Colfax Street to Murrayhill Avenue in Cheswick will be closed.

CDI will determine when to reopen the roads, police said. Signs will be posted at the closures indicating detours, and police will be on hand to direct traffic and the public.

There is no school for students in the Allegheny Valley School District on Sept. 22, said district spokeswoman Jan Zastawniak. It was scheduled as a professional development day in the district’s calendar, and school staff will meet at the Acmetonia building in Harmar, she said.

Dust

A notice sent to nearby property owners said dust “is an unpreventable byproduct of all types of demolition.” It said that with a wrecking ball or high-reaching excavator, structures are slowly broken up and create dust over months, whereas with the felling of the boiler house, the same quantity and type of dust is released in seconds and may linger in the area for a couple of minutes before crews begin to clean up.

The notice advised homeowners to close all windows, doors and air intakes and cover any other openings that could allow dust to enter into a property as a precaution. It also recommended that people turn off exhaust fans and take in or cover outdoor furniture.

It said that immediately after the implosion, there would be a high possibility of dust in the area surrounding and downwind from the demolition site, depending on the weather. Those who find dust uncomfortable or irritating should avoid the area during the demolition and afterward, until the dust has been cleaned up.

A statement from state Rep. Mandy Steele, D-Fox Chapel, advised residents to avoid the area during the implosion day. She said water trucks will spray down dust in the area.

“To ensure the safety of residents, I’ve asked the Department of Environmental Protection to thoroughly review the demolition and monitor the area,” Steele said. “In the wake of the first demolition, my office received calls from numerous residents with concerns about health risks from the dust blanketing certain areas.”

Steele said those with questions on the implosion can contact her office at 724-826-5151.

Vibrations

Residents in the area will hear noise and may feel vibrations, police said. A small amount of explosives will be used to demolish the building. The location around it has been cleared for contractors to safely get to the debris for removal.

The notice sent to nearby property owners said that project-specific vibration estimates have been completed and are within regulatory limits. However, if people are concerned for delicate items hanging on walls or shelves, they should lay them on a couch or bed during the felling of the boiler house.

Pre-implosion

Springdale police will establish an exclusion zone around the site to prevent people from getting too close. Police ask that people cooperate, as directions from them are made to promote safety and minimize inconvenience.

Starting Sept. 19, an independent engineering company will begin a predemolition photographic survey to document preexisting conditions of structure and properties near the fall zone. Noise and vibration monitoring will be set up around the demolition site to monitor those levels generated by the felling of the boiler house.

Post-implosion

Crews will establish a post-felling survey to determine whether changes have occurred. Those records are submitted to state authorities.

Following the implosion, Grant Mackay crews will start a post-demolition evaluation and documentation of the area to assess the level of cleanup required. People can contact Grant Mackay at 801-347-6469 or 281-508-4442, and representatives will coordinate the cleanup activities with homeowners.

Officials ask those who reside in the evacuation or shelter-in-place zone to be patient to allow cleanup crews adequate time to clean up their property.