Botched Ohio Edison smokestack demo: 6 things to know 6 years later

Last month marked the six-year anniversary of the botched Ohio Edison smokestack demolition in Springfield.

Here’s six things to know six years later:

1. The 275-foot tower fell the wrong way, smashing a building that housed back-up generators and knocking down two, 12,500-volt power lines. A gathered crowd of media members and contractors had to run to avoid live power lines that flew around.

MORE: Agreement reached in Springfield smokestack demolition suit

2. A lawsuit filed afterward by Ohio Edison’s parent company First Energy claimed the damage amounted to more than $19 million in losses.

3. A settlement was reached in the lawsuit just days before the trial was set to start.

4. The demolition contractor said immediately after the smokestack dropped the wrong way that an undetected crack on south side of the tower pulled it the wrong way.

5. First Energy in the lawsuit pointed to the demolition contractor failing to cut a re-bar and the way explosives were used as the alleged causes.

6. The story and a video captured by the Springfield News-Sun was picked up by many national and international media sources.

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