May 7, 2014 By Michael Florio
Many residents might be able to breathe a little bit easier.
The second and final smokestack in the toxic Charles Poletti Power Plant has been removed.
The destruction of the second smokestack is a significant step in the deconstruction of the overall power plant. The plant, which relied on 1970s technology, failed to produce clean power and was deemed to be one of the city’s most noxious plants.
The New York Power Authority announced plans to deconstruct the aging, inefficient power plant back in 2012. The work began in 2013 with a plan to be completed by December 31, 2014.
“The smokestacks of the Poletti power plant were symbols of the pollution that haunted our neighborhood for too long,” said State Sen. Mike Gianaris. “The progress we have made improving our air quality is a key reason so many New Yorkers are coming to western Queens.”
Gianaris said that he is looking forward to the Poletti Power Plant being totally dismantled. While it no longer pollutes the neighborhood it is a reminder of the problems it caused.
The NYPA has opened a new, more efficient power plant next to the Poletti Power Plant.
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