Michigan smoke stacks slated for demolition

Smoke stacks on the Muskegon, Michigan, shoreline are slated for demolition, a report by WOOD TV8 says. The smokestacks were part of the former Sappi Fine paper mill, which closed in 2009 and was imploded in 2013.

The property is owned by Pure Muskegon, a local group of investors, and is being cleaned up by Melching Inc., Nunica, Michigan, the report says. Melching previously owned the property.

Asbestos lined paint coats the smokestacks, but the smaller stack is too unstable for workers to properly abate and must come down first. According to Ellouise Hieftje, president of the Muskegon Lakeside Neighborhood Association and former employee at the paper mill, environmental issues will be closely monitored and there should be no issue.

Demolition crews discovered the issues with the smaller stack while removing the asbestos lined paint with ultra-high pressure washers. Since abatement was not complete, debris from the stack will be treated as hazardous material and disposed of in special landfills.

According to the report, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality will give a $1 million grant to the project when a specific hazardous material plan will be presented. The contaminated stack is scheduled for demolition on July 12.

Public hearings and presentations will be held over the next few years to determine future plans for the city shoreline, the report says.