Contractor preparing Coleman Station for implosion

Work is continuing at the Big Rivers Kenneth C. Coleman Station to prepare the idled power for implosion. Crews have been at the site since March doing remediation and salvage work, including removing asbestos, according to Jon Davies of Complete Demolition Services of Louisville.

The plant was idled in 2014 following the loss of Century Aluminum, which was the station’s largest customer. The first coal-fired unit at the plant opened in 1969. At the time of its idling, Coleman was running three coal-fired units.

“It’s about a 60-day process to get everything ready for implosion,” said CDS President Jon Davies. “Much of this depends upon the weather, as well as the holiday weeks of Christmas and the New Year right in the middle of the work.”

Davies said stacks at the plant would be imploded first, followed by the three boiler towers. “As we are clearing up the debris from the first implosion, we will continue to prepare the steel structures of the boiler towers,” he said.

“There has been a lot of activity at the plant since the contract started in March,” Davies said. “We are salvaging what is resalable, and removing hazards such as oils and asbestos. Most people see the two to three seconds of implosion, but what they don’t see is the months it takes to prepare the structure for demolition.”

About 16 employees of CDS has been working at the site for more than eight months, completing minor demolition work and abatement hazards.

As the date for implosion approaches, Davies said the company will notify immediate neighbors as well as local law enforcement and fire officials.

“We will have vibration, noise and air monitoring in place to assure we conduct ourselves in way that is hospitable to the neighbors of Coleman Station,” he said. “We do not notify the community at large, because that would invite people gathering in the area to watch the implosion. This really helps to keep everyone safe and reduces the liability for CDS and Big Rivers.”

Davies has been in demolition industry for 28 years, inspired by his father who was more interested in salvage work. “I enjoyed the demolition side of the business, so that has been what I have focused on,” he said.

CDS has completed a number of high profile demolition projects, including Cardinal Stadium at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds in Louisville, as well as the Shortway Bridge in Newport.

Stacks at the plant will be felled by using dynamite, while steel structures will require the use of shaped charges, which are used to cut metal.

“We will then recycle all concrete, crushing it on site, and will haul any recyclables out by truck,” Davies said.

Leslye Krampe, manager of economic development for Big Rivers, said once demolition and remediation is complete at the Coleman Station campus, the 730-acre site will be a prime economic development site. She said the utility provider is working with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet to assure all environmental remediation work is completed in a responsible manner and in accordance with state regulations.

The site offers a river port, with loading and unloading facilities.

Serviceable equipment at the plant will be used at Big Rivers’ DB Wilson Station in Centertown in Ohio County.

Coleman Station was rated at a capacity of 602 megawatts at the time of its idling.

By C. Josh Givens