Demolition of former Springdale power station expected to be completed in 2024

Demolition of the former Cheswick Generating Station in Springdale likely won’t be completed until March of next year.

Although what will become of the property after the power plant demolition is still unknown, workers this week were using blowtorches to remove exterior panels.

Removal of the metal cladding is part of asbestos abatement measures, said Scott Reschly, vice president of operations for Louisville, Ky.-based Charah Solutions, which owns the plant.

“We’re not tearing down structures yet, but we’re in the asbestos abatement phase,” he said, adding that what Springdale residents see workers taking down are pieces of galbestos siding.

Reschly said the asbestos abatement phase is about 75% complete and is expected to wrap up in April or May. Further demolition cannot take place until that is completed to avoid releasing any chemicals into the air.

In the coming months, Charah, which specializes in the remediation of such plants, also will test the coal pile area and ponds for any toxic chemicals to ensure compliance with the state Department of Environmental Protection, Reschly said.

Last year, the company announced its plans to demolish the plant and, potentially, use the 56-acre property for renewable energy and battery storage options.

That’s just one possibility, as the company still is looking into a variety of options for what to do with the property, Reschly said.

“It’s definitely an attractive site,” he said. “It’s got great water and barge access. There’s a lot of positive attributes to the site. It’ll serve a good purpose in the future, but we don’t know what that purpose is going to be yet.”

The history of the plant dates to 1967, when the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved the construction of a power generating plant for Duquesne Light Co.

The plant has gone through multiple owners since, and although Duquesne no longer owns the plant, the company was asked by Charah to construct a wetland treatment system outside an emergency ash pond — where types of ashes are disposed of — to redirect safely treated water from the pond into Tawney Run, spokesperson Ashley Macik said.

“If approved, the system will naturally remove any unwanted materials from the water before it is discharged while creating positive biodiversity impacts for local wildlife and plant species,” Macik said.

The construction permit for the treatment system would require approval by the Allegheny County Conservation District, and a decision is expected in the coming months.

In addition, permits would require approval by the state Department of Environmental Protection, which also would take several months, Macik said.

If the project is approved, Charah Solutions plans to begin construction in early 2024. There is no estimated price tag.

While the former plant towers over Springdale’s neighborhoods, borough Council President Mitch Karaica said he was not aware of any noise complaints.

“There’s normal construction noise,” said Karaica, who worked at the plant for 13 years.

GenOn Holdings, the power plant’s previous owner, announced in 2021 that the plant would close permanently that September, later delaying the closure to April 2022 when Charah closed on its purchase.

At the time, GenOn blamed the closure on “unfavorable economic conditions; higher costs, including those associated with environmental compliance; an inability to compete with other generation types; and evolving market rules that promote subsidized sources.”

The power plant was the last coal-fired electric power generating plant in Allegheny County. Commissioned in 1970, it produced 565 megawatts of electricity.

More than 50 jobs were lost upon its closing, in addition to jobs lost at plant closures in Avon Lake, Ohio, and Newburg, Md.

The closure sparked mixed reactions in the community, with some mourning the loss of jobs and revenue in the community and others celebrating the demise of a coal-burning plant that had sparked environmental concerns.