Power plant tower demolition goes wrong
No injuries were reported after the 275-foot tower at the unused 83-year-old Mad River Power Plant teetered and then fell in a southeast direction — instead of east, as originally planned — seconds after explosives were detonated.
The falling tower brought down the power lines and sent spectators scrambling to avoid the sparking lines.
“It just started leaning the other way and I thought, ‘Holy cow’... It was terrifying for a little bit,” Springfield Township Fire Chief John Roeder told the Dayton Daily News.
Officials estimated that about 4,000 customers in the Springfield area, about 40 kilometres northeast of Dayton, lost power because of the downed lines.
Lisa Kelly, the president and owner of Idaho-based Advanced Explosives Demolition Inc., which handled the demolition, told the Daily News that the explosives detonated correctly, but an undetected crack on the south side of the tower pulled it in a different direction.
“Nobody’s happy with things that go wrong in life, and sometimes it’s out of our hands and beyond anybody’s prediction.... We’re all extremely thankful no one was injured,” Kelly told The Columbus Dispatch.
Officials say the debris landed on the FirstEnergy property.
“We had it all planned out. Everything was scoped out... it caught everybody by surprise,” Tim Suter, FirstEnergy’s manager of external affairs, told the Daily News. “Everybody was kind of excited, looking for cover.”
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Bruce nuclear reactor taken offline as $2.1B project 'officially' begins
TIVERTON, ONT - The world’s largest nuclear fleet, became a little smaller Monday morning. Bruce Power has began the process to take Unit 6 offline to begin a $2.1 billion project to replace all the major components of the reactor.
The reactor, which produces enough electricity to power 750,000 homes, will be out of service for the next four years.
In its place, hydroelectric power and natural gas will be utilized more.
Taking Unit 6 offline is just the “official” beginning of a 13-year, $13-billion project to refurbish six of Bruce Power’s eight nuclear reactors.
Work to extend the life of the nuclear plant…
