Demolition Crews Complete Power Plant Demolitions for Black Hills Power Corporation

Independence Excavating (IX) submitted its initial bid to Black Hills Power for the complete environmental decommissioning, demolition, removal and site restoration for a combined total of five coal fired power plants. The competition for this work was against the best our industry has to offer, and the post-bid review process was definitely among the most rigorous and comprehensive that we have ever seen. Near the end of the post-bid reviews of our safety record, performance abilities, recommendations from previous owners, work scope understanding and many other areas, representatives from Black Hills Power flew in to visit our demolition project at the Ford Motor Co. Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Minnesota to take a final look at how we operate and see how we put our words into action. We couldn't have been more proud at the completion of the review process to hear the news that we were awarded the work for all five plants that—combined—made up one of our largest demolition contracts to date! Not only was this a large quantity of work that fit our capabilities very well, but it was also a reaffirmation of the policies and core values that we all work to follow on a daily basis.

While the plants varied somewhat in size and complexity, the general scope of work at each shared a similar theme. The environmental scope of work typically included asbestos abatement, clean-up of baghouse(s), removal of all universal wastes and fly ash/coal residuals, lead and mercury abatement, PCB-contaminated soil removal and draining of all oils. IX's demolition work typically included complete demolition, processing and removal of the power house, generator/turbine(s), boiler(s), coal handling equipment and conveyors, baghouse(s), stack(s), outbuilding(s), any on site rail spurs, site paving and concrete foundations. Final site restoration work was then customized to each site as needed for any potential cut/fill, grading, topsoil re-spread and seeding.

We have successfully completed the four plants; the first located in Osage, Wyoming, second in Cañon City, Colorado, third in Gillette, Wyoming and the final plant in Rapid City, South Dakota.  Our sister company, Precision Environmental, was a key partner throughout the bid, post-bid and performance process, having completed the asbestos abatement for all four plants. In addition to Precision, EnviroServe also worked hand in hand with IX to complete the remainder of the environmental work at each of the plants. The fifth plant was located in Pueblo, Colorado, and is currently on hold.    

“The professionalism and knowledge exhibited by Independence's project management staff, field supervision and craft personnel was evident from their initial mobilization to site. Independence’s attention to safety and quality and the professional treatment of their employees and the Owner contributed to the successful completion of this work. In addition, Independence completed their work without a single lost time incident. The complex nature of this work required a Contractor who excelled in safety, the ability to plan and overall project execution. Ultimately, Independence completed their work safely, on schedule and with a high emphasis on fairness to the Owner.”

Aaron Hoff
Senior Project Manager
Black Hills Power Corporation