Latest stage in Sappi Mill demolition delayed till Spring over contamination fears.
The show will not go on as scheduled this weekend at the old Sappi Paper plant.
Thousands of people were expected to watch Sunday morning as an explosives team brought down the 280-foot tall smokestack at the former paper mill. But, in a letter sent to the city on Thursday, the president of the demolition company says previously unknown contamination has been found and he is suspending demolition of the smokestack.
“Until we have fully investigated the regulatory requirements in the continued process of handling, abating, further testing and final disposition of such materials,” wrote Douglas Melching, president of Melching Demolition And Dismantling.
The letter from the demolition company doesn’t describe the previously unknown contaminants discovered three days before it was scheduled to topple the smokestack.
The company’s president says the material needs “special attention.”
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