Homes To Evacuate For Ex-Nabisco Plant Implosion: Glen Rock Officials

GLEN ROCK, NJ — Implosion of the former Nabisco plant in Fair Lawn will force evacuation of a few homes in the immediate area, and close Glen Rock schools for at least a day, officials said.

Residents in an evacuation zone are asked to cooperate with authorities when the Fair Lawn Nabisco tower is imploded on April 15 and dust is released that may linger in the area of the blast site, Glen Rock officials said in a recent letter to residents.

Mechanical demolition of the now-shuttered cookie factory on Route 208 North began on Jan. 23.

"Out of an abundance of caution," the Glen Rock School District also is expecting to close schools on that following Monday, April 17, Superintendent Brett Charleston said in an email to staff and parents. Charleston added that the air will be tested for asbestos prior to schools reopening.

Should work continue as scheduled, a subcontractor will explosively lower the Nabisco tower to an elevation where the contractor can "implode" the structure, or explosively disrupt supports to allow gravity to pull the building down, officials said. The site is being demolished in anticipation of future development.

Construction dust is an "unpreventable byproduct" of all types of demolition, officials said.

Depending on wind conditions on the day of implosion, the dust may drift offsite for a few minutes until contractor Sessler Wrecking begins cleanup. Prior to the implosion, Sessler will remove some of the "dust-causing" materials from inside, and "wet down" the debris fall area, officials said.

However, all of whom are in an "exclusion zone" are required to stay indoors, and others in the area with respiratory problems are encouraged to consider being elsewhere, until the dust has settled, officials said.

"As a precautionary measure, we recommend that all windows, doors and air intakes are closed (or covered). We also recommend that you turn off all exhaust fans," officials said.

Sessler is imploding the structure after an engineer identified some structural deficiencies that would have "put (the firm) at risk under mechanical demolition."

Demolition began after the factory closed down last year and was bought out by an East Brunswick developer.