You could be the lucky winner who detonates implosion at James River Power Station Feb. 19

Sara Karnes, Springfield News-Leader
·3 min read

There's a big implosion planned this month, and one lucky raffle winner will be the one to detonate it.

City Utilities is partnering with United Way of the Ozarks to host a special raffle "Blasting for the Better" with the winner detonating the implosion that will take down the James River Power Station stacks Feb. 19.

“This is truly that once in a lifetime opportunity to play a key role in this historic event for Springfield,” said Gary Gibson, City Utilities president and CEO. “The partnership with United Way has the potential to raise money and bring attention to the work they do plus provide this unique opportunity to our entire community.”

Construction crews demolish equipment at the James River Power Station on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. The smokestacks at the decommissioned power plant are set to be imploded later this month.
Construction crews demolish equipment at the James River Power Station on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. The smokestacks at the decommissioned power plant are set to be imploded later this month.

Previously, the News-Leader took a tour of the ongoing demolition taking place at the power station.

Five turbines at the station generated energy from both natural gas and coal for CU customers beginning in 1957, CU previously said. In 2017, the CU board voted unanimously to shut down three of the units, which hadn't been in service since the mid-2010s, the News-Leader reported.

More: City Utilities plans to implode exhaust stacks at James River Power Station in February

Construction crews demolish equipment at the James River Power Station on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. The smokestacks at the decommissioned power plant are set to be imploded later this month.
Construction crews demolish equipment at the James River Power Station on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. The smokestacks at the decommissioned power plant are set to be imploded later this month.

The last two remaining generator units at James River Power Station went out of service in 2018 and were retired in early 2021. The plant itself helped drive Springfield's 20th-century growth, per News-Leader archives.

The station's five units were built between 1953 and 1970. The initial project cost $11.1 million. The money was spent to buy the land and create Lake Springfield, as well as build a road and put in a dam and the first two power units.

"They've been very, very functional in their life, but they reached a point where the environmental regulations and everything that we would have had to do to keep them operational was just not cost effective," said Joel Alexander, CU spokesman, in a recent interview.

Construction crews demolish equipment at the James River Power Station on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. The smokestacks at the decommissioned power plant are set to be imploded later this month.
Construction crews demolish equipment at the James River Power Station on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. The smokestacks at the decommissioned power plant are set to be imploded later this month.

David Gaines, general superintendent for the St. Louis-based Spiritas Wrecking Company, explained that the days of using a wrecking ball for a job like this are long past. The Spiritas crews have already drilled holes into the base of the stacks, which will be filled with sticks of plastic explosive. The stacks, ranging from 200 to 350 feet in height, will then fall away from the building, towards the south area of the property.

Before the demolition, chain link fence and fabric will encase the columns to minimize the spread of debris. Water will also be sprayed day-of to reduce a dust cloud.

More: App launches in Springfield to connect homeowners with snow removal professionals

The wrecking company will place seismic monitors in the ground around the bases and in the area to track the blast. This is in case someone, for example, claims the blast shattered their window, the company will have the data to say whether or not that was possible.

Construction crews demolish equipment at the James River Power Station on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. The smokestacks at the decommissioned power plant are set to be imploded later this month.
Construction crews demolish equipment at the James River Power Station on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022. The smokestacks at the decommissioned power plant are set to be imploded later this month.

Here's how to enter the raffle

Donations of $5 per chance can be made by texting BLAST to 91999 and at uwozarks.org/blasting-for-the-better through 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, with a winner being selected on Thursday, Feb. 17. For questions, call Jamie Dopp at 417-831-8559 or United Way of the Ozarks at 417-863-7700.

Sara Karnes is an Outdoors Reporter with the Springfield News-Leader. Follow along with her adventures on Twitter and Instagram @Sara_Karnes. Got a story to tell? Email her at skarnes@springfi.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Raffle winner will get to detonate James River power plant implosion