The final major structures at the site of FirstEnergy Corp.‘s former coal-fired R.E. Burger Power Plant in Belmont County, OH, were demolished and cleared on Friday as part of work to prepare the location for PTT Global Chemical pcl‘s (PTTGC) proposed ethane cracker. The plant’s 854-foot stack was demolished on Friday. The site sits along the Ohio River. According to local news media reports, traffic was restricted on both sides of the river in Ohio and West Virginia, with Ohio setting up a two-mile buffer zone to protect motorists and pedestrians from any debris caused by the demolition. West Virginia’s Marshall County also set up viewing areas for the public to watch the work. Boilers were set to be cleared off the site as well. After a two year search, PTTGC selected the 150-acre site and another 350-acre plot nearby for the cracker. Ohio officials said at an industry conference in Pittsburgh in June that the company filed key air and water permits in May and June (see Shale Daily, June 27). The site preparation work is expected to be complete this fall (see Shale Daily, Jan. 8). PTTGC has said it expects to make a final investment decision about the facility by next year.