Beckjord Remediation Project

On Friday, February 26, 2021 between the hours of 9:30am and 10:30am there will be a planned implosion of the remaining smokestack structure at the site of the former Beckjord Power Station. The goal is to safely demolish these structures and minimize any disruption to the local community.

The teams responsible for the implosion have been working closely with local officials, the Pierce Township fire department, New Richmond Fire and EMS, transportation officials and other local personnel to ensure all local and state guidelines are followed.

Below is some important information for residents to be aware of:

• The implosion will necessitate temporary road closures the morning of February 26, 2021 U.S. 52 will be temporarily closed between 10 Mile Road and Pond Run. Beckjord Road, Nelp Road, and Old US 52 at Pond Run Rd will also be closed. We expect these closures to last no more than 30 minutes, and alternative routes will be clearly marked.
• The Ohio River will also be closed to marine traffic during this time period.
• Residents nearby will hear an explosion-like sound as a result of the implosion. We anticipate this noise disruption will be brief.
• Once the implosion and checks to the site and surrounding areas are complete, traffic will re-open and restrictions will be lifted.

Please note, due to safety precautions and because of the facility’s location and the way it is situated near the river, public viewing is not available. This is especially important given the current guidance from health officials regarding social distancing with Covid-19.

We will remain in close contact with authorities and emergency responders to ensure the implosion plan is carefully and thoroughly executed.

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On Wednesday September 23^rd units were dispatched for smoke in the area of the Beckjord Power station. Upon arrival, it was determined that there was a fire in the area of the roof of the building. Immediate contact was made with a security representative on site and verification was obtained that no one was in the building. Representatives of the property were contacted and sent to the scene to address the fire. The Ohio EPA was notified due to the smoke conditions.

Representatives of the property handled the fire conditions that remained contained to a small area. Fire Department personnel remained on scene until the fire was extinguished and all personnel were safely accounted for. Representatives of the property brought additional personnel in to ensure no hazards or embers remained. Fire Department personnel cleared the scene and property representatives remained on site.

Through subsequent discussions and follow up, we were informed that the fire resulted from hot embers due to cutting operations on the roof as part of the demolition process. There was small storage type structure constructed out of mostly wood products that had ignited and burned along with other ordinary construction materials. Representatives of the property stated they have already taken steps to reduce the chance of fire and have implemented additional steps to ensure areas are as safe as possible after daily operations conclude.

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At the Trustee Work Session held January 16th at 6:30pm to discuss Economic Development, Ron Froh with Commercial Liability Partners (CLP) was present to discuss their progress and approach to the remediation and redevelopment of the property formerly owned by Duke Energy. They have also created a website where updates will be posted at https://www.ccrsites.com/beckjord

Pierce Township has also created a place on our website which links to a video of the January 16th meeting and the link to the website created and managed by CLP. We will add updates as they become available.