VIDEO: Total Wrecking oversees Louisiana implosion

Total Wrecking & Environmental, a Buffalo, New York-based environmental and demolition contractor, has carried out an implosion process on a boiler structure and 525-foot emissions stack at the Dolet Hills Power Station in Mansfield, Louisiana.

The company says the implosion is the most visible and dramatic phase of a decommissioning and a site redevelopment effort tied to the former coal-fired, 650-megawatt plant, which was decommissioned in 2021 after more than 30 years of activity.

The 12-story boiler building and 525-foot chimney stack structures were imploded Oct. 6.

“These structures will be safely felled using high-precision, engineered explosive techniques to minimize environmental impact and ensure public safety," Total Wrecking said prior to the blast. "Law enforcement, emergency personnel and environmental monitors will be on-site to manage safety zones and observe best practices.”

Preimplosion steps included the dismantling of turbine buildings, lignite silos, cooling towers and conveyor systems as well as the demolition of auxiliary structures, including fuel and chemical tanks.

In addition to considerable metals recycling, Total Wrecking says concrete from demolished structures will be crushed and reused on-site as backfill during final grading operations.

Also part of the project will be what Total Wrecking refers to as responsible environmental remediation, including asbestos abatement, removal of residual waste and the safe closure of underground utilities.

Some asbestos-containing materials, such as gaskets and pipe insulation, will be removed by licensed abatement subcontractors, while oils, residual lignite coal and materials categorized as universal waste are being handled in accordance with best practices to ensure long-term site safety, according to Total Wrecking.

Some forms of infrastructure, including the rail switchyard and a warehouse, will remain intact for use in the redeveloped solar energy site.

The power plant site owners are Pineville, Louisiana-based Cleco Power LLC and Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO), a business unit of Ohio-based American Electric Power (AEP).