From the Smoky Lake Signal, Wednesday, December 22, 1993. Used with permission.

Midland Elevator Hoed and Burned

Twin Cities Excavating, of Edmonton, was hired by CN to demolish George Kozub's Midland elevator in Smoky Lake. Using a large backhoe, Cat and two trucks, the elevator, annex and office were taken down Monday and Tuesday burnt in a nearby pit on Tom Kolodiazny's land on the south end of Smoky Lake. The pit was 12 feet deep, 10 feet wide and 60 feet long.

Project manager Tom Leslie explained that down the centre of the pit was placed a 24" pipe. On the far end a large air pump was attached. The result, a fire so hot combustion was complete. There was very little smoke. The fire, burning at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, bakes the sides of the trench into a clay like brick. Incinerating reduces landfill volumes and if you are just burning wood, says Mr. Leslie, it is not environmentally hazardous. Alberta Environment has approved of the project.

The metal rods, the elevator leg and other parts were all salvaged, mostly by Mr. Kolodiazny.

Twin Cities videoed the building coming down and the incineration. It is a pilot project. this is the first building they have burnt. Since purchasing the machine in 1987, they have used it to burn brush. There are hundreds of elevators across the province slated for destruction. This could be  the reasonable alternative to trucking the often unsalvageable elevator wood.

Mr. Leslie did apologize for the flying ashes. Normally the ashes are buried on the site, but the town of Smoky Lake wanted the ashes hauled to the landfill site. Backhoeing them out of the pit became a problem when the wind changed Wednesday night from northwest to southeast. The unpredictable wind blew the ashes across Secondary 855.

Twin City Excavating didn't notice it in the fog, until the town received complaints. Secretary Treasurer Harvey Prockiw and Mayor Hank Holowaychuk were soon on the site. In the end the ashes were pushed back into the pit and buried in the former wetland on Kolodiazny's. The concrete footing to the elevator was hauled to the Smoky Lake landfill site. The company offered to pay for any car washing needed in the area, due to the flying ashes.

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