Kraft Mill digesters came crashing down in controlled drop last week

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WFHR / WIRI) – Demolition continues on the Wisconsin Rapids mill to clear the way for new development.

Both Kraft Mill hard and soft wood digesters are now on the ground. While several areas of the old Verso mill are back up and running, officials say once the Kraft Mill was shut down, it could never have been restarted due to emissions and old equipment.

Last two tall buildings on site

A strange calm fell over the Kraft Mill site on Friday as crews prepared to drop the hard and soft wood digesters. The controlled ‘drop’ is an extensively preplanned event that brings the buildings down in a prepared spot safely. With these two tall buildings gone, the skyline looking east from Highway 34 will look very different. Onlookers gathered outside the property and on the overpass to watch the first digester come down around noon on Friday.

MRG Group Site Senior Project Manager James Conrady talked through the final steps leading up to the actual drop as the crew finished preparations.

“There’ll be a cut here, a cut on the back column, and then four bolts on the back,” explained Conrady. “Then I’m gonna sound the horn and we’re going to bring this thing down to the ground.”

During the final safety meeting, Conrady talked through the plan step by step. He stressed the importance of safety and told the crew to take their time. He expressed full confidence in the team.

“This is the crew to have here to do it,” says Conrady.

The drop

What are called set cuts had already been done on the digester legs in front. This weakened the structure in preparation to bring it down. Despite the seriousness of the day, Conrady managed to bring a bit of levity to the group.

“If at any point in time it gets weak enough to want to tip, you go east or west, alright,” instructed Conrady. “Definitely don’t try to run north. (laughter) You’re gonna lose.”

The crew took up their positions and listened for the horn blasts to call out the final sequence. Everything went as planned and the digester tipped gracefully, bringing an era crashing to the ground.

The project is on track

Once the dust settled, the altered skyline appeared and the deflated digester had  landed in the exact spot intended.

The second digester dropped around 3 p.m. on Friday.

Conrady says the project is on track to finish as scheduled. MRD Group has 18 months to clear the site. According to that schedule, they should finish this spring.

“We’ll work our way towards the silos and continue through the rest of the bleach plant over the course of the next couple of weeks,” explains Conrady. “We’ll see where we’re at in about three weeks but we should definitely be right on pace.”