Demolition is now underway on 89 Mill Street. The Environmental Protection Agency says the building will be down in the next two to three months. (PHOTOS BY HEATHER N. GRIMMER / ENP PHOTOGRAPHER)

ENP STAFF REPORTS
news@eastniagarapost.com

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Workers wear masks at the site to prevent breathing in asbestos.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency began demolition today of the former power and steam generating plant at 89 Mill St. in Lowertown.

The building, which is in serious disrepair, is a hazard, according to the EPA, in large part because of asbestos contained within.

"As a result of the potential threat of release of asbestos fibers into the environment from inside the building, in 2012, the EPA applied an encapsulant over the interior of the building which prevents asbestos from becoming airborne," according to a press release from the EPA.

The EPA's primary contractor for the project is Environmental Restoration, which has subcontracted with Titanium Demolition and Remediation of Lockport to perform the demolition of the structure.

While demolition is occurring, workers will use fire hoses to keep the debris from generating dust as much as possible. Six air monitoring stations have been established around the perimeter of the building, which will monitor the dust in the air, a sample of which will be sent to a lab for asbestos analysis daily.

Once the building is demolished to the ground level, the basement will be evaluated. It is believed there is more asbestos is present there, the EPA said. Asbestos-contaminated debris will be kept wet at all times and transported to an approved landfill in double-lined sealed trucks. Non-contaminated debris may be used to fill in the basement.

In all, the project is expected to take two to three months and cost approximately $500,000. It is funded by the EPA with the expectation that they will recoup some or all of their costs from the current or former owners.

The building was most recently purchased in 2010 by Liberty Plant Maintenance, which began to dismantle the building, further disturbing the asbestos, according to the EPA.

The New York State Department of Labor and Department of Environment Conservation have overseen the site since 2010 and requested EPA involvement in March of 2012.

A crane works on demolition of 89 Mill St. this afternoon.

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