An explosive boom heard across Lakeland on Saturday morning marked the end of an era for Lakeland and Lakeland Electric.
Total Wrecking & Environmental, a Buffalo, New York-based demolition company, detonated a first round of explosives at 8:02 a.m. Saturday, causing the 260-foot stack of McIntosh Unit 3 to fall to the north. A second set of explosions brought Unit 3’s Selective Catalytic Reduction unit down to the east, roughly in the plant’s footprint.
“This is bittersweet,” said Mike Beckham, Lakeland Electric’s general manager. “This is kind of always bittersweet, you say goodbye to a plant that has operated so well for 40 years.”
A second implosion of Unit 3’s boiler is tentatively scheduled for March. Frank Bodami owner of Total Wrecking said his company plans to auction off the rights to press the button for the explosion to benefit a veterans-related charity. The starting bid will be $3,000, he said, and further details on how to place a bid and the charity selected will be announced shortly.