Rubble remains from botched demolition

A pile of rubble still sits where the smokestack for the Ohio Edison Mad River Power Plant fell after a botched demolition two years ago.

The smokestack fell the wrong way when it was brought down in November 2010, crushing a building housing back-up generators and snapping power lines as employees and members of the media ran to avoid falling debris and live electrical lines. The incident received international attention after a Springfield News-Sun video of the falling tower was posted online.

No one was hurt in the accident, but it left about 4,000 people without power for several hours and did an unknown amount of damage to the companys property. A company investigation into the accident is still ongoing, said Mark Durbin, spokesman for Ohio Edison.

Its still in discussion, believe it or not, Durbin said. There has been no definite decision.

Officials with the demolition company overseeing the project, Advanced Explosives Demolition Inc., said that a unnoticed crack in the tower pulled it in the wrong direction. The explosions were meant to send the smokestack into a cleared area to the east, but it fell to the southeast instead, downing two 12,500-volt power lines above a crowd of about 25 onlookers.

Representatives from Advanced Explosives Demolition did not return calls seeking comment.

Durbin said that the two-year wait was a normal part of the companys internal investigative process. There is the potential for legal action against the demolition company, he said. For now, debris from the accident is still visible on the property.

We dont really have an obligation to report (the results) publicly, said Durbin. It was a private demolition that occurred on private property.

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Rubble remains from botched demolition