The two stacks at OMU’s Elmer Smith Station produced their last “cloud” Sunday morning — this one a massive cloud of dust that lingered for more than 10 minutes after the felling of the towers. The explosion and impact of the towers hitting the ground were so loud and powerful they could be heard and felt for miles in all directions.
(To watch a live stream of the event, click here. The towers begin to fall around the 4:50 mark.)
The Elmer Smith Generating Station was constructed in 1964, with a second unit added approximately 10 years later. In 2020, the Elmer Smith Generating Station ceased operation and the plant began to be decommissioned.
OMU General Manager Tim Lyons said it was a bittersweet feeling seeing the towers come down.
“It’s the end of an era. Unit 1 came online in 1964 and Unit 2 came online in 1974. It’s a bittersweet day,” Lyons said.
The taller stack – which reached 650-feet into the sky – was constructed with the addition of Unit 2. Construction on this stack began in 1971 by the Continental-Heine Chimney Company and required 3,196 cubic yards of concrete. Its base was 26 inches thick which decreased to 9 inches thick at the top. This stack was supported by 380 reinforced pilings.
The shorter stack – which rose 419 feet into the air – was built starting in 1992 by the Pullman Power Corporation in conjunction with the construction of an emission control system. Its base was 11 inches thick which decreased to 8 3/4 inches at the top. This stack was supported by 248 reinforced pilings.
Viewers lined KY 144 to see the Owensboro landmarks be brought down.
“The stacks are symbolic, they’re landmarks. You can see them from many miles away. If you’re driving this way [you see them and know] that’s not too far away we’re getting close to Owensboro. It has been a sad day and the landscape has changed,” Lyons said.
Demolition was overseen by National Salvage and Service Corporation, and the felling of the stacks was managed by Controlled Demolition Incorporated.
The rest of the facility will continue with the demolition process, and Lyons said it is planned to take until mid-summer 2023. The lot will eventually be reduced to a green field or gravel.
