WATCH: Detroit incinerator smokestack imploded
DETROIT (FOX 2) - The final standing piece of Detroit's incinerator facility was knocked down Sunday morning when officials detonated explosives that crumbled the smokestack.
Between 5:30 a.m. and 6, a scheduled implosion destroyed the base of the tower, sending it down across the property and kicking up dust after it made impact - the last round of uninvited debris the facility will throw into the air.
Detroit's trash incinerator had a notorious reputation in the communities surrounding it due to consistent complaints of air quality problems. Squeezed at the overpasses of I-94 and I-75, it was in operation for nearly 34 years.
As historical footage from the FOX 2 archives shows, it was a near constant source of strife from both locals and residents across the Detroit River in Canada.
The city said all hazardous materials inside the complex had been safely removed and properly disposed of before the implosion was undertaken.
"The full demolition of the incinerator is a relief to many people in the city," Tyrone Clifton, director of the Detroit Building Authority. "We owe it to them to remove this unwanted structure from their community in as safe a manner as possible, and we have the best team in place to do that."
With the smokestack down, the site will be completed by July. There is no future plans for the area as of yet.