Drill conducted at Riverside power plant

Star Tribune

Last update: November 11, 2009 - 11:03 AM

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Now, what kind of dummy would get stuck on a power plant stack?

One that is part of an emergency drill conducted Tuesday afternoon in northeast Minneapolis.

At about 1 p.m., Xcel Energy and the Minneapolis Fire Department rescued a "victim" from the side of the Riverside power plant stack at 3100 Marshall St. NE.

According to the utility, the scenario involved the rescue of an unconscious worker -- in this case, a mannequin -- from scaffolding on the outside of the stack. The rescue operation took place 192 feet above the ground.

What's not staged is the fate of the stack. It is being demolished as part of Riverside's recent conversion from coal-fired to natural gas-fired generation.

Typically, six to eight people have been working on the stack during the demolition process. Demolition contractors also participated in the drill. PAUL WALSH

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