Anglesea power station demolition update

Updated 9am, 3 October 2018

The demolition remains on schedule for today, Wednesday 3 October, between 12noon and 4pm, subject to final safety and technical checks, and if the wind direction is away from the Anglesea township.

2 October 2018

Based on current weather forecasts, Alcoa of Australia’s (Alcoa) Anglesea Power Station is scheduled to be felled by controlled explosives on Wednesday 3 October, between 12noon and 4pm.

The demolition timing will be subject to final safety and technical checks, and the activity will only occur if the wind direction is away from the Anglesea township.

Alcoa Site Manager Warren Sharp said the demolition had been the subject of detailed planning involving a range of stakeholders to ensure it was executed safely.

“We are very confident in the work undertaken to ensure the safe demolition of the remaining power station structure,” Mr Sharp said.

Alcoa and principal contractor Industrial Demolition Services have worked with government agencies including EPA Victoria, Worksafe and emergency services (Victoria Police, SES and CFA) to ensure all relevant safety and environmental standards are met.

Preparations have included a comprehensive twelve-month asbestos removal program, a process regulated by Worksafe Victoria. The remaining structure is predominantly steel which will be recycled.

As outlined in the Alcoa Freehold Concept Master Plan, the industrial stack will not be demolished.

Public safety

The safety of all site personnel and the community is Alcoa’s priority. The power station is situated on private property and is not accessible to the public.

A 550-metre exclusion zone will be in place around the power station site during the demolition and all tracks in and around the site will be closed. Security officers will be stationed along the perimeter of the exclusion zone and will undertake vehicle patrols of the area.

The activity may be audible in Anglesea for about 10 seconds and is expected to sound like claps of thunder. It may generate localised dust that is visible for a short period and will move away from town.

Asbestos and dust monitoring will be in place during and after the demolition.

Alcoa has shared information about the demolition with Anglesea community members via its Community Consultative Network (CCN), letters to residents and businesses, information sessions and weekly updates in the Surf Coast Times.

If weather conditions are not suitable tomorrow (Wednesday 3 October), the activity will be targeted to occur between 9am and 12noon on Thursday 4 October

Background

Decommissioning of the Anglesea power station and mine has been underway since 2015 and has been subject to extensive community consultation.

The main power station building was scheduled to be felled using controlled explosives on 30 May 2018. The demolition activity, which was safely executed, did not result in the complete collapse of the structure.

A detailed investigation into why the structure only partially collapsed indicated a range of possible factors which will be addressed during this demolition.

Asbestos monitoring during and since the first demolition activity has not detected airborne asbestos fibres above the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017 asbestos exposure standard.

Further information: Kate Betts, kate.betts@alcoa.com or 0400 209 497.