BL England Power Plant Smokestack Demolition

UPPER TOWNSHIP — The smokestack at the former B.L. England power plant will be demolished at 10 a.m. Thursday.

“Months of preparation has taken place to remove all structures that were in the way of the smokestack felling,” according to a statement from owner Beesleys Point Development Group. “If you have driven over the bridge lately you will have seen the significant progress of cleanup from the last implosion event.”

Controlled Demolition Inc. will perform the implosion.

Public access to the end of North Shore Road will be prohibited before and after the razing. Pedestrians will be allowed on the Garden State Parkway bike /walking path.

In April, more than 1,000 pounds of explosives were used to demolish the main boiler building at the site. In September 2022, the company took down the cooling tower there.
The plant had been in operation since 1961, powered by coal and diesel. Operations at the plant shut down in May 2019, after which an extensive remediation began.