Outgoing EDA president oversees spectacular implosion in Lyon.

In just over a week, Yves Canessa’s reign as president of the European Demolition Association comes to and end as he is replaced by current vice president, Giuseppe Panseri.

But, judging by this video shot in Lyon, France yesterday, Canessa is following Jon Bon Jovi’s advice and going out in a blaze of glory.

$800 million to be earmarked for cleanup of former General Motors sites.

The Obama administration has proposed a trust fund of more than $800 million to pay for the cleanup of closed General Motors sites in 14 states.

Ed Montgomery, who leads the White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers, said the fund would clean up nearly 90 properties shuttered in the GM bankruptcy. He said it represented the largest environmental and economic development effort for former manufacturing sites.

The cleanup plan will help raze or rehabilitate dozens of vacant manufacturing facilities and offices left barren by GM’s government-led bankruptcy last year. Montgomery announced the cleanup at a conference sponsored by the White House and the Brookings Institution, on the future of automotive communities affected by the industry’s downsizing.

Montgomery said the proposal would provide $536 million for the cleanup of properties, and about $300 million to help states and communities pay for property taxes, demolition costs, plant security and other expenses.

Read the full story here.

Another Cabrini-Green high-rise set to come down in Chicago.

The Chicago Housing Authority has sent out eviction notices to residents of one of the last remaining high-rises in the Cabrini-Green development. The 48-year old building – nicknamed “the Himalaya” – comprises 134 units, but only 31 families still live there. They all received 30-day eviction notices Tuesday.

CHA Chief Executive Officer Lewis A. Jordan said the decision to close the Near North Side building – a moved deemed an “emergency closure” – was spurred by increasing crime and low occupancy.

“First and foremost, our job is to put people in better and safer housing,” Jordan said in a statement. “We can no longer tolerate seeing good people live in deteriorating and unsafe conditions. . . . The families there are at great risk.”

Read the full story here.

Utah the latest to join US’ unofficial low bid campaign.

The low level of bids emanating from the US demolition industry has now been so much a part of the Demolition News landscape that it has started to feel like a smelly, hand-me-down, threadbare armchair that just sits in the corner to act as a constant reminder of just how far we’ve fallen from the heady heights of 2006/07.

Smelly and uncomfortable though it may be, it’s time for us to sit in this hideous furniture throwback and bring you news of the latest round of low bids, this time in Utah.

Buildings are coming down as part of Washington County’s journey toward the creation of a new justice center. And with bids on the various stages of planning and construction coming in dramatically lower than expected, county officials are looking forward to some serious savings.

Though original estimates had the price tag for the demolition work at more than $100,000, the Washington County Commission approved a contract with JP Excavating Inc. Tuesday for a little more than $40,000. That work included the removal of a handful of older houses east of the courthouse – the future location of the justice center.

“I think people are out there trying to find work to keep themselves busy,” Commissioner Dennis Drake said of the economic climate and the plethora of hungry contractors. “Even sometimes at lower than their costs.”

If you can bring yourselves to read more, please click here. As for us, we’re off to the tip to rid ourselves of this nasty old armchair once and for all.

Rumours of General Demolition’s demise apparently exaggerated…?

You may recall that back in the middle of February this year we reported on the untimely demise of UK contractor, General Demolition, the company having reportedly been swept away on a tide of legal action over an unpaid bill for six years’ worth of unpaid water and sewerage bills.

So imagine our surprise when we received news of this article today which not only makes no mention of the liquidation but which details a high-profile London contract upon which General Demolition is currently employed.

We have heard of the proverbial phoenix rising from the ashes before; but this is the first time we’re aware of one re-emerging from a watery grave.

If anyone out there can shed some light on this, we’d love to hear from you.

How much experience should an operator have before driving an ultra-high reach machine?

At the end of this month, some of Europe’s leading demolition companies will gather in Warsaw, Poland for the latest European Demolition Association conference. And we will be there to capture all the news and views for you.

However, in advance of that meeting, we’re calling for your input.

One of the most eagerly debated and emotive issues in the field of demolition equipment at present is the amount of experience an operator should have before he (or she) is allowed to climb behind the levers of an ultra high (30 metre plus) demolition excavator.

So we would like to gauge your thoughts with a special poll on the subject which you can find by clicking here. It will take you less than a minute to complete and your answers will, of course, be treated in the strictest confidence – All we’re interested in is gauging the thoughts of demolition professionals.

We look forward to seeing your responses.

Safedem sets the date for simultaneous tower block implosion.

On Sunday 27 June, both Sandeman and Kincairne Courts in Kincardine, Scotland, will become nothing more than a pile of rubble when controlled explosions will bring them down.

William Sinclair, from Safedem Ltd, the company Fife Council have contracted to carry out the demolition work, said, “Our experienced teams are working closely with all of the organisations involved in planning, co-ordinating and managing this operation. The safety aspect of the demolition is of paramount importance.

“An exclusion zone will be established on 27 June and residents within this exclusion zone will be evacuated. Our Community Liaison Teams will now be visiting residents to put the necessary arrangements in place for the evacuation.”

Read more here.

Demolition company to plead not guilty to contravention of asbestos regulations.

A demolition company accused of dumping rubble containing asbestos near Geraldton Grammar School has indicated it will plead not guilty to the charges brought against it.

The City of Geraldton-Greenough last month launched a prosecution against Softail Proprietary Limited, which trades under the name of Geraldton Earthmoving Contractors.

In the local magistrates court yesterday, lawyers for the company told the court a not guilty plea was likely to be entered but that could change after the evidence had been further assessed.

Read more here.

Demolition News has just launched its own Facebook fan page.

Demolition News has finally bitten the bullet and has today launched its very own Facebook fan page. In addition with allowing us to deliver the latest news and views from the global demolition sector right onto your Facebook page, this new fan page also gives you (and us) an opportunity to interact in a whole new way.

“Social media sites are an increasingly important contributor of traffic to sites like Demolition News. Indeed, Twitter is now second only to Google as the most important referrer of readers to our site,” says Demolition News founder Mark Anthony. “As a website that stands or falls by the number of relevant readers it can attract, Demolition News is constantly seeking out new ways to allow readers to access our information in a way that is beneficial to them.”

Mark Anthony reports that Demolition News has seen a slow but steady increase in traffic emanating from Facebook, and hopes that the new Fan Page will encourage an even greater level of crossover.

“For an increasing number of people, Facebook serves is their homepage, their link to friends and family, and the very hub of their online social activities so it is vital that we harness this social network and bring our information to Facebook users in a format that they know, understand and use on a daily basis,” Anthony concludes. “In addition to opening us up to a new, wider audience, the launch of our Facebook fan page will also allow fans to discuss matters that concern them and to interact and communicate around our news.”

To become a Demolition News Facebook fan, please just click here.

Owner of H&M Demolition sentenced to 13 months in prison for improperly handling asbestos.

“This is not a case about an evil man who was concerned only for himself,” his attorney, Thomas McCarthy, said. “Rather, it is a case about a good, albeit stubborn, man, who in the interest of trying to make his business a success and provide for his family, grew his business too fast, took on too much debt, got in over his head, and ultimately cut corners to try to stay afloat.”

The government said Tucker, who was sentenced today to 13 months in federal prison, took dangerous short cuts and exposed many, including his own workers, to asbestos in 2005. While working at a defunct lumber company’s kiln-drying building in Wyoming, he instructed workers to knock asbestos panels down with an excavator, despite federal regulations the panels be removed by hand, carefully lowered to the ground and kept wet until properly disposed of, authorities said.

Tons of contaminated debris were taken to a cement-recycling facility to avoid high costs of proper asbestos disposal, workers told investigators.

Read the full story here.