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Windmill disaster leaves debris scattered and costs soaring

October 29, 2024 | Des Moines County, Iowa


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Windmill disaster leaves debris scattered and costs soaring
In a recent government meeting, officials discussed the aftermath of a significant incident involving two large windmills, each approximately 500 feet tall. Both structures caught fire, resulting in debris being scattered over a wide area, with large chunks reportedly thrown as far as 1,500 feet and fiberglass found up to a mile and a half away.

One of the windmills remains partially intact, with a single blade still hanging in the air, while the other has been completely dismantled. The crane used for the removal of the destroyed windmill is still on-site, a massive piece of equipment that required 80 to 100 truckloads for transport, with estimated costs for its operation and removal ranging from $100,000 to $150,000.

Officials noted that dismantling the remaining concrete structure would be a costly endeavor, with estimates suggesting it could reach $1.25 million to cut and remove the concrete, in addition to $700,000 for the metal components. The owners of the windmills have expressed a preference for a more explosive approach to demolition, indicating a desire to blow up the remaining structure rather than undertake the lengthy and expensive dismantling process.

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Scribe from Workplace AI
Scribe from Workplace AI