An iconic landmark along Lake Ontario in Greece will soon be gone. Time Warner Cable News Reporter Tara Grimes explains the process of taking down the Russell Station and its impact on neighbors.
GREECE, N.Y. -- For Lawrence Campbell and many neighbors of the Russell Station near Lake Ontario in Greece, just looking at the steam-operated electric generation plant recharges plenty of memories.
“They used to power wash our house every year because of the soot,” Campbell said. “They used to power wash our furniture, our pool, stuff like that.”
Regarded as one of the most modern plants of its kind in the world when it was built in 1949, some recollections of the iconic landmark are better than others. Boaters on Lake Ontario still use the stacks as a guiding point, and families would often come to fish in the nearby creek.
“The steam used to heat the water up which brought the salmon in, which brought the smelt in and it was very vigorous down here,” Campbell said. “People used to come from miles around to do that.”
Campell and other residents also said community members would gather in the front lawn of the station for events.
“We used to play football every Thanksgiving, we had all the towns, all the kids playing football,” Campbell said. “Now it’s deteriorated. It’s sad, it’s really sad.”
In 2008, RG&E shut down operations due to costly environmental requirements.
In 2014, the company drew up demolition plans, which includes removal of asbestos and lead-based paint.
RG&E now said it has begun tearing down the out-buildings, tanks, stacks, the abandoned switchyard and main plan buildings.
According to its website, administrators expect the entire plant to be down by August.
Completion of the entire project, including restoring the site with new utilities and drainage, backfilling and re-seeding the ground, and strengthening the security perimeter is set to be done by December.
While neighbors said they will miss the historical aspect of the building, the completion of tearing it down couldn’t come soon enough.
“It’s been noisy,” Campbell said. “It’s been dirty, things of that nature. Generators are going 24 hours a day. It’s been just horrendous.”
Residents also hope plans for the site to remain a green space, especially with all the underground pipes, won’t change in the future.
RG&E said residents may also notice some excavation activity offsite near the intersection of Beach Avenue and Edgemere Drive.
Workers will be filling the former cooling water intake tunnel between the lake and demolished power plant with a cement-based material.
This site will also be backfilled and seeded when complete.