Rochester Business Journal

Rochester Gas and Electric Corp.’s plan to demolish and remediate its Russell Station was accepted Thursday by the state Public Service Commission.

The 257-megawatt coal-fired plant in Greece was decommissioned in 2008.

RG&E has set aside $12 million to pay for the work.

It will submit compliance filings concerning the hiring of a competitively selected demolition and remediation contractor, as well as cost control and quality assurance efforts and quarterly reporting as of October listing environmental permits and approvals obtained, PSC officials said.

In addition, RG&E must report on its progress on the project, including ground and surface water monitoring data, PSC officials said.

An outreach and communication plan will be developed by RG&E to keep the public and local officials apprised of the progress, the commission said. The work must be done without adversely affecting RG&E’s electric substation and transmission facilities on property abutting Russell Station.

RG&E plans to hire an engineer to oversee the demolition and remediation.

“And that (work) is going to be a multiyear process,” President Mark Lynch said in an interview with the Rochester Business Journal. “You have to get through remediation of any hazardous material. Then you have to demolish the plant and you have to remediate your soil.”

The project likely will take two to five years to complete, he said.

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