Cooling tower at closed nuclear power plant comes down

Cooling tower at closed nuclear power plant comes down Associated Press Last updated: Monday, May 22nd, 2006 09:40:35 AM

Portland General Electric's Trojan Nuclear Power Plant cooling tower falls after implosion near Rainier, Oregon on Sunday May 21, 2006. RAINIER, ORE. -- Demolition crews destroyed the 499-foot cooling tower at the decommissioned Trojan nuclear power plant Sunday, eliminating a Northwest landmark and a longtime reminder of the controversy over nuclear energy. With a rumble, the tower leaned to the side and collapsed upon itself, leaving an enormous cloud of dust and multi-ton pile of rubble. It took 2,792 pounds of dynamite and only a few seconds to bring it down. Portland General Electric, the utility that built and owns Trojan, ordered the tower destroyed as part of its decommissioning. Trojan closed in 1993 for financial and safety reasons and has been gradually decommissioned since then. It remains the state's only commercial nuclear power plant. During the years, Trojan faced a number of opponents concerned about the safety of nuclear power. Activists brought numerous initiatives to voters and petitions to regulators to shut the plant down. Many activists celebrated throughout the weekend, including throwing a party with cooling tower-shaped pinatas.

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