Smokestack implosion to bring decades of Detroit trash incinerator stink to an end
The looming smokestack of a shuttered trash incinerator whose stench sickened and angered Detroit residents for decades is coming down in a controlled implosion
DETROIT (AP) — The looming smokestack of a shuttered trash incinerator whose stench sickened and angered Detroit residents for decades is coming down in a controlled implosion scheduled for Sunday morning.
The plan to reduce the smokestack to rubble is almost the final phase in the facility's yearlong demolition, which should be completed by July, according to the city.
The facility has stood near the interchange of Interstates 94 and 75 for more than 30 years, just a few miles northeast of downtown Detroit. Before closing in 2021, fumes and the rank odor of burning trash could be smelled for miles, but were strongest for residents of nearby streets, raising concerns about pollution and the impact on residents' health.
The approximately 330-foot-tall (100-meter-tall) incinerator operated by Detroit Renewable Energy opened in 1989. Up to 5,000 tons (4,535 metric tons) of trash were burned there per day.
