AVON LAKE, Ohio — Some neighbors near the historic Avon Lake power plant are asking the city to pause plans for an implosion at part of the building this week, citing concerns over potential health and safety risks.
Avon Lake Mayor Mark Spaetzel recently discussed the implosion process with News 5.
RELATED: Avon Lake to implode part of power plant soon
The 43-acre property between Lake Road and the Lake Erie shoreline represents enormous potential for the city of Avon Lake.
“It’d sure be nice to have a big area open to the lake and everyone can enjoy it,” said Becky Guthman, who’s lived in the city for more than a decade.
After the power plant closed completely in 2022, the Avon Lake Environmental Redevelopment Group (ALERG) released renderings of a proposed development to replace the century-old structure.
The images showed a mixed-use residential and commercial building with public access to the lakefront. Several of the power plant’s smokestacks towered over the development in the renderings.
That summer, city leaders hosted a public meeting to discuss plans for redevelopment.
RELATED: Avon Lake considers plan to redevelop power plant into green space
Since the plant’s closure, ALERG has been slowly dismantling parts of the historic property and working on remediation at the site. The controlled implosion planned for this week will take out a boiler building.
"When this thing implodes there will be dust. We're letting people know that, if you're sensitive to dust. When you get that half hour notice, you want to take the proper precautions, whether it's closing windows, turning off air-conditioning units, the dust will dissipate," Spaetzel told News 5 last week.
After frustrations about the short 30-minute notice of the implosion to neighbors, the city adjusted its notification plan. Monday evening, the mayor announced the city’s website, social media and alert system will now notify residents of the implosion the evening before it happens.
Others have raised concerns over potential health and safety risks.
“The dust on the ground - how long will it stay and does it get into the water when it rains or affect animals that are out or people that are growing gardens?” said Guthman.
Dozens of neighbors packed a special City Council meeting Monday evening to ask more questions during public comment.
“We’re monitoring the air quality. What are we going to do when it exceeds the safe limits?” one person asked.
Another said, “I think we need to educate the people before we go ahead with something like this to understand what dangers really did exist and what exists today.”
Ward 1 City Council Member Rob Shahmir also pressed ALERG about why it has not shared risk assessment reports with the city council or the public.
“We’re sitting here wanting to do this without reviewing the documentation. I don’t understand it. We have a responsibility on this side of the table to ensure that the residents are safe. Our job is the safety of residents, not [ALERG’s} convenience,” Shahmir said.
Scott Reschley, the president of ALERG’s parent company, Charah Environmental Redevelopment Group, LLC, addressed the meeting Monday night. He told council members and neighbors that Charah has decades of experience with similar projects, has done extensive mitigation work at the Avon Lake site and closely plans to monitor it before, during and after the implosion.
In a letter to the city Tuesday, Reschley said ALERG has identified potential receptors near the power plant, assessed the potential exposure pathways and is prepared to implement protective mitigation as needed.
“These measures go above and beyond the past two-years of work ALERG has done to prepare the site for the safest of conditions possible leading up to implosion. This work included but was not limited to dust removal, asbestos abatement, hazardous substance and petroleum removal, fly ash removal, and boiler washdowns,” Reschley said in the letter.
Some neighbors want the implosion put on hold until ALERG can provide specific data supporting its measures.
“I don’t think it would hurt to pause that and get the information,” said Guthman.
Tuesday evening, Mayor Spaetzel released the following statement:
“We appreciate the community’s valuable feedback and concerns regarding the upcoming implosion and want to provide important updates. The Avon Lake Environmental Redevelopment Group (ALERG) announced that ALERG’s long-planned implosion of the boiler building #9 and #10 will take place on July 31, 2024 between 5:00 AM and 8:00 AM EST. This planned implosion is the next step toward the demolition and redevelopment of the former Avon Lake Power Plant. In preparation for this milestone, ALERG has performed comprehensive dust abatement, asbestos abatement and removal of other hazardous materials at the facility for over the past year. Ohio EPA representatives have toured the plant site and reviewed ALERG’s site preparation activities. On July 30, 2024, City representatives confirmed the Ohio EPA’s Air Division is both aware of the planned implosion and will be present to monitor demolition activities themselves.
The City consulted with both the Law Director and outside counsel regarding whether the City has a strong legal basis to delay the implosion. Based on these discussions, the City concluded that ALERG has the legal right to proceed with its long-planned activity.
In addition, the City has retained Verdantas, a nationally recognized environmental consultant, to represent the City during the demolition process. Verdantas has assembled a team of experts from across the United States, with deep experience in monitoring similar activities, especially dust monitoring. Therefore, the City believes it has taken prudent and proactive steps to monitor this demolition, in collaboration with Ohio EPA’s regulatory oversight, in a manner protective of City residents.”
More efforts to pause the implosion:
On Tuesday, William Zimmerman was among more than a dozen people who told News 5 he’s upset to learn the city will move forward with Avon Lake Power Plant’s implosion despite pleas to delay the process.
“We had 75-100 people show up last night at the council meeting and everyone was voicing the same opinion,” said William Zimmerman.
But during a meeting on Tuesday at Avon Lake Public Library, Councilman Rob Shahmir said that request did not end how he imagined.
“At 1 o’clock when I received the email form the mayor that they’re moving forward. That this is a done deal. I was quite shocked,” said Avon Lake Councilman Rob Shahmir “ALERG doesn’t have the right to override the mayor and council."
Now, in the 11th hour, residents are asking what can legally be done.
“I’m proposing that we file a class action lawsuit first thing tomorrow (Wednesday) morning,” said Attorney Gerald W. Phillips.
Meanwhile, Zimmerman is calling for the mayor to deny city services before the implosion takes place between 5 and 8 Wednesday morning.
“I believe the mayor has the ability as the safety director to withhold the services. They wouldn’t be able to set up a 1200-foot perimeter, so therefore how could they still have the implosion,” said Zimmerman.
It’s not clear if this idea will work before the implosion’s scheduled time of 5 a.m.
But Zimmerman is hopeful, whereas other residents like Diane Sapienza, who understands people’s concerns, said it's time for the demolition to begin.
“It’s become an eyesore because this is what it’s looking like. It has to come down. You know, when are we going to do it? In the winter, no. We’ve got other things to do. Let it get done,” said Diane Sapienza.
The planned implosion will take place between 5 and 8 Wednesday morning, and News 5 will continue to keep you updated on this developing story.
A detour has been set up: The route will be U.S. 6 east to Miller Road, south to Walker Road, east to Moore Road, north to U.S. 6 and reversed.
