Agencies Release Closure Information for May 21 Trojan Implosion; Visit PortlandGeneral.com/Trojan for Updates
PORTLAND, Ore., May 11, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Portland General Electric (PGE) (NYSE:POR) and its contractor, Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI) have been working with local government agencies to organize and communicate a series of river, air and road closures prior to, during and after the implosion of the Trojan Plant cooling tower. The implosion is scheduled for Sunday, May 21 at about 7 a.m.
These closures are under the control and management of the appropriate government agencies and are at their discretion. In addition to these agency-managed closures, PGE and CDI will establish an exclusion zone one half-mile around the Trojan tower in which no member of the public will be allowed.
PGE and the government agencies involved with this event encourage the public to stay home and watch the implosion on television. All major Portland-area television stations plan to air live broadcasts of this implosion. The implosion is expected to last between eight and 15 seconds.
The implosion could be delayed beyond 7 a.m. to ensure the safety of people and wildlife or if tower visibility is impaired. PGE and representatives from the United States Coast Guard, state and local law enforcement and transportation will be in constant communication with CDI at the Trojan command center on the morning of May 21 to communicate their states of readiness and other pertinent information. A delayed implosion would also delay the timing of the following closure information.
The following closures will take place on May 21, unless specified otherwise. For up-to-date information on these closures, visit www.PortlandGeneral.com/Trojan.
Exclusion zone
All Trojan site property, including Trojan Park, will be closed from Friday, May 19 at 5 p.m. and will remain closed until Monday, May 22 at 7 a.m. Trojan Park is currently closed for the season and is officially scheduled to open on Friday, May 26. The Trojan Plant area (including the cooling tower) has never been open to the general public and will remain closed.
Beginning Saturday, May 20, CDI will enforce an exclusion zone encompassing a half-mile surrounding the tower, which includes Trojan Park. No one can enter this area other than persons authorized by CDI. There are no homes or businesses within this half-mile area, and all of the property (other than U.S. 30, the rail lines and the Columbia River) is owned by PGE. CDI will patrol the area throughout the evening of May 20 and the early morning of May 21 leading up to the moment of implosion to ensure no unauthorized persons are inside the exclusion zone. The exclusion zone will remain in effect for up to one hour following the implosion.
Columbia River
The Coast Guard Sector Portland, OR will establish a safety zone on the Columbia River between river miles 70 and 75 from 6 until 8 a.m. Boats will not be allowed in this five-mile stretch of the river during the closure (except for those authorized to be moored at a permanent dock). On May 20, marine units from local law enforcement agencies will begin patrolling the Columbia River to notify mariners of the impending closure. On May 21, marine units from Coast Guard Station Portland and local law enforcement officers from seven Oregon and Washington counties will enforce this safety zone. Boaters who violate the closed river space will be met by law enforcement officers, immediately escorted from the safety zone and may be subject to fines or arrest. (Source: U.S. Coast Guard and Cowlitz County sheriff's office.)
Air space
From 6 until 8 a.m. on May 21, the Federal Aviation Administration will institute the following temporary flight restriction in the air space over the cooling tower: 3,000 feet above mean sea level for a one-nautical mile radius around the tower.
Roads
Interstate 5: The Washington State Department of Transportation and the Washington State Patrol will stop traffic on I-5 in both directions between mileposts 28 and 34. They will begin rolling slowdowns at 6:45 a.m. in order to have traffic stopped by 7 a.m. They expect to reopen I-5 within 15 minutes of the implosion. Washington State Patrol will patrol I-5 for several hours prior to the implosion to prevent people from parking vehicles on or near the Interstate and will tow parked vehicles at owners' expenses. (Source: Washington State Department of Transportation)
U.S. 30: Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) crews will control traffic on U.S. 30 between Neer City Road (milepost 41) and Little Jack Falls Road (milepost 44). Flaggers and pilot cars will begin traffic control at 5 a.m. Sunday morning. When notified that the implosion is imminent, ODOT crews will temporarily stop traffic in both directions. Crews will remain in place until the implosion has been successfully completed, and they are instructed to release traffic. Drivers traveling this section of U.S. 30 should expect delays of 20 minutes or more, and are encouraged to seek alternate routes. In addition to controlling traffic driving on U.S. 30, ODOT crews will temporarily prohibit parking between mileposts 41 and 44. Any vehicle attempting to park along the shoulders of the highway will be removed. Graham Road access to the Prescott area will be restricted starting at 5 a.m. Oregon State Police and the Columbia County Sheriff's Office will have patrols ensuring site security throughout the weekend and anyone violating the exclusion zone would be subject to arrest for criminal trespass. (Source: ODOT, Oregon State Police and Columbia County)
Port of Kalama roads and property: Beginning May 20, the Port of Kalama (located in Kalama, Wash.) will start the process of closing their leased property to unauthorized persons and vehicles. Local law enforcement, in cooperation with Port of Kalama security officers, will begin closing access points to the area west of Interstate 5 from the north city limits of Kalama to the area north of Kalama River Road. General public access will not be available and access to private property within this area will be by permission only past the following locations: Kalama River Road and Fisherman's Loop (just west of I-5) and Hendrickson Drive, north of Oak Street (north part of City of Kalama). (Source: Port of Kalama and Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office)
The following agency contact information is for media use only and may not be released to the general public.
Agency Contact Office phone/E-mail
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Columbia County Janet Wright 503-397-1035
wrightj@co.columbia.or.us
Vicki Harguth 503-366-3905
hargutv@co.columbia.or.us
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Cowlitz County Trudy Winterfeld 360-577-3130
winterfeldt@co.cowlitz.wa.us
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Federal Allen Kenitzer 425-227-2004
Aviation allen.kenitzer@faa.gov
Administration Mike Fergus 425-227-2004
mike.fergus@faa.gov
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Oregon
Department Shawn Uhlman 503-731-8265
of Transportation shawn.d.uhlman@odot.state.or.us
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Port of Kalama Mark Wilson 360-673-2325
mark.wilson@portofkalama.com
Merry Swanberg 360-673-2325
marketing@portofkalama.com
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United States Ensign Nick Barrow 503-240-2595
Coast Guard nicholas.a.barrow@uscg.mil
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Washington
State Dept. of Sylvia Ross 360-905-2058
Transportation rosssy@wsdot.wa.gov
Heather Coston 360-905-2079
costonh@wsdot.wa.gov
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SOURCE: Portland General Electric
PGE Scott Simms, 503-464-7342 Ariana White, 503-464-7078
Copyright Business Wire 2006
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