The Trojan Tower, nuclear relic, eyesore & landmark is coming down

[Caoimhe]

It was the inspiration for the Springfield Nuclear Plant in the Simpsons. Matt Groening, the cartoon's creator, grew up with the giant Trojan cooling tower near his hometown of Portland, Oregon.



It was something I remember causing great curiosity with us kids traveling in the back seat of the family station wagon, on I-5 between Portland and Seattle. "What is that? Wow is it radioactive?" Our parents would assure us that it was for creating energy, but we had heard of Three Mile Island, later Chernobyl, and we couldn't help but feel something ominous about that tower.

Trojan Nuclear Power Plant opened in 1970 was infamous for it's poor construction and maintenance, resulting in leaking steam generators by 1974. The leaking generators ultimately forced the plant to close permanently in 1992. PGE has been decommissioning the Trojan plant since the company made the decision to shut it down. Since announcing plans to demolish the tower, PGE has been fielding many suggestions on alternative uses for it, including creating an Olympic swimming complex, a giant fishing hole, a Starbucks, a Lowe's Superstore, a giant composter, a prison, and a Simpsons theme park (my favorite one). Despite all the creative ideas, the folks at PGE have decided to demolish the giant eyesore in May 2006 using a controlled demolition company known for having brought down the King Dome in Seattle.

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Implosion will topple Trojan's tower
Thursday, March 09, 2006
GAIL KINSEY HILL

If all goes as planned, one ton of explosives will rumble near the Columbia River in early daylight on May 21, slightly tilting, then folding, the Trojan Nuclear Plant's landmark cooling tower into a pile of concrete and steel below.

Such are among the details that Portland General Electric and Controlled Demolition Inc. began outlining Wednesday for the implosion of the 499-foot cooling tower, which for 30 years has signaled the location of the Trojan power plant.

(snip)


http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1141874722143940.xml&coll=7

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. Kick For The Simpsons! nt

[Benhurst]

2. Will probably be the most spectacular controlled demolition

since the World Trade Center towers.