PSE&G Demolition on Boyden & Springfield Avenues

Question: Should the demolition be postponed until after Pool Season?

I don't think it is healthy to have dust from concrete and other materials in the air and then on the ground so close to the Pool.

My understanding is that demolition will take place "in the Fall". The pool is closed after Labor Day, correct? If so, I don't see a conflict. There is definitely some pre-demo work going on at the site now, from what I can tell, but I don't think the actual demolition will take place until after pool season is over. If your understanding of the respective dates is different, please post your information.

Driving by this morning I saw a significant section of the building demolished. Does that qualify as "pre-demo"?

Could you have seen the results of the MFD training exercise held at the PSE&G site or was this something more?

It is being demolished today. Definitely not "pre-demo." I saw it. They are knocking down the structure, dust is going everywhere. A large pile of concrete, rebar, etc is growing.

Health Department should be notified.

The building is definitely coming down. They started Monday

I just drove past.

The demo crew is hosing down the area with a fire hose while the heavy machinery pulls down portions of the building. This is a fairly standard dust mitigation program.

I didn't notice any dust clouds billowing from the site.

If you do notice dust clouds beyond the site I suggest contacting the Department of Buildings who has the authority to shut down the demolition until an improved dust mitigation plan is implemented.

Why take any risk? Stop demo until the pool season is over. Dust clouds are the particulate you can see. The particles you can not see are just as dangerous.

truth said:
Why take any risk? Stop demo until the pool season is over. Dust clouds are the particulate you can see. The particles you can not see are just as dangerous.

alias said:

If you do notice dust clouds beyond the site I suggest contacting the Department of Buildings who has the authority to shut down the demolition until an improved dust mitigation plan is implemented.

I stand corrected. Last week's Village Green article spoke of plans to demolish the building "this Fall" and I had seen or heard the same elsewhere. http://villagegreennj.com/police-and-fire/maplewood-firefighters-practice-soon-demolished-pseg-site/

I guess August is the new Fall.

I saw dust coming off the structure that was being demolished into the air while the crew was hosing the pile of rubble on the ground. It was not helping.

Town Inspectors?

Wait. Demolished? It's the first I've heard of this! Must start a petition. It's never too late! We will regret keeping our mouths shut!

Oh screw it. It's a vacation black out week. No one will even know it's happening

ArchBroad said:
Wait. Demolished? It's the first I've heard of this! Must start a petition. It's never too late! We will regret keeping our mouths shut!
Oh screw it. It's a vacation black out week. No one will even know it's happening

It's not too late to repurpose the building. I heard that a utility company office building in Uzbekistan was reimagined as an ice skating rink/chinchilla farm. It's gorgeous. Just imagine what we could do with what's left of the PSE&G building. Imagine.

As amusing as it is to infect every thread on MOL with our zombie-like PO virus, I can't imagine how tedious it must be for people who aren't involved to have to read it in threads where it doesn't belong.

Well, I thought the Uzbekistan comment was funny. Where is Engage Maplewood? They have repeatedly insisted that they exist only to keep people informed and to keep goings on in the town "transparent" but we haven't heard a peep out of them on this.

sarahzm said:
Well, I thought the Uzbekistan comment was funny. Where is Engage Maplewood? They have repeatedly insisted that they exist only to keep people informed and to keep goings on in the town "transparent" but we haven't heard a peep out of them on this.

Good. No complaints here.

I should have more restraint. And I probably would have if it wasn't all the same people posting on this thread that also post on the PO thread (minus one).

FWIW, I too think it's probably not all that cool to have demo occur so close to all the kids at the pool. However, if the existing site was checked for hazards and cleared, it's likely not that big of an issue.

ridski said:
As amusing as it is to infect every thread on MOL with our zombie-like PO virus, I can't imagine how tedious it must be for people who aren't involved to have to read it in threads where it doesn't belong.

ridski said:
As amusing as it is to infect every thread on MOL with our zombie-like PO virus, I can't imagine how tedious it must be for people who aren't involved to have to read it in threads where it doesn't belong.

That's the trouble with zombies - so far, according to one documentary I have been watching, they are unstoppable and infect everybody.

ridski said:
As amusing as it is to infect every thread on MOL with our zombie-like PO virus, I can't imagine how tedious it must be for people who aren't involved to have to read it in threads where it doesn't belong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOs4vsthLD0

sarahzm said:
Well, I thought the Uzbekistan comment was funny. Where is Engage Maplewood? They have repeatedly insisted that they exist only to keep people informed and to keep goings on in the town "transparent" but we haven't heard a peep out of them on this.

Nor you citizen

If there are consequences it may take years to show.............please remember that in what you call humor

Even government assurances are no guarantee. I worked at the EPA only 2 weeks after Whitman declared the air safe in the area of the Twin Towers. It was not

author said:
Even government assurances are no guarantee. I worked at the EPA only 2 weeks after Whitman declared the air safe in the area of the Twin Towers. It was not

I remember that declaration.

I think history will show that at best she bowed to pressure to reassure a nervous public and issued a statement before the data was available to support the conclusion she offered. In which case she acted reprehensibly and abdicted the duty of her office.

At worst, she bowed to pressure and issued a statement contradicted by the data. There is a special place in hell for people who execute the powers of their public officr in that manner.

Of course, like so many things during those bizarre days, the truth may fall somewhere in a murky middle.

One distinction between the events of those days and the demolition of the former PSE&G is planning.

The demolition of the twin towers was not a permitted demolition. From the perspective of public health relating to the removal of buildings, the event at the Twin Towers was a catastrophic demolition of asbestos containing buildings that ignited numerous fires that burned uncontrolled for weeks.

The former PSE&G site in Maplewood is a permitted demolition which should include safeguards to ensure asbestos, fuel, fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, etc are removed prior to demolition and that particulate dust is managed within the confines of the project site. Given my, arguably limited, experience with the Maplewood DOB, I have no reason to think these safeguards were not established prior to the issuance nof a demolition permit.

After breathing in demolition dust, as long as you wait 20 - 30 minutes before you go in swimming you'll be fine.

Yes t he pressure on Whitman from the President on down and by business interests was tremendous

We the powerless little people staged a mini revolt.

The feeling among so many was that she should have refused to ok anything and resign then and there.

She would not have gone on food stamps

author said:
Yes t he pressure on Whitman from the President on down and by business interests was tremendous
We the powerless little people staged a mini revolt.
The feeling among so many was that she should have refused to ok anything and resign then and there.
She would not have gone on food stamps

Of course this has nothing to do with this thread or the significant and well-written contribution of alias.

Wendy Lauter

One poster, real name

Whitman and Guiliani - a real dynamic lying duo...and then Bush said "Go shopping"

PSEG is a permitted demo but if folks at the pool are experiencing much dust
and fumes, they need to say something. (there will always be some) While it may not be haz mat
dust and fumes, it is concrete dust and more (plastics, plaster, etc.)
and can have an effect on people. Yes our DOB is great (have worked
with them a lot), but they have to be made aware. If this is what is
happening at the pool, then it is poor planning as far as I can see.
And what about neighbors - are they being protected in any way?
And btw, while you all don't want to talk about the PO (and most of you have lost your "domains" anyhow) this is exactly what you have to look forward to, but in much closer quarters.

I wish my neighbor hadn't sanded their siding and repainted their house to make it look ten times better. But hey, it's their property and they did it legally so maybe I shouldn't complain.

Lost domains?