In 1995 Charcoke marly was closed. After a many years of fending the enviroment-inspection off management declared charcoke
broke so they did not have to spend millions and millions on sanitising the site. Heavy metals like mercury and lead and PCP's like
benzeen are polluting the soil.
Many times i drove by and many times i said to myself that i have to go now because sooner or later the demolitions would start
As a shock... one morning i drove by and saw the big cranes and bull's move around. It was to late! That is when charcoke Marly decided to
strike back at the demolition men and give me a secound chance.
During the demolition of one of the scrubbers it caught fire. When the guts of a tar scrubber start to burn there is nothing and i mean nothing
in the world that can stop it. Soon the site was coverd in a thick, slow moving black smoke. Firemen could not get closer and the sheer height of the tower
(from all cokes plants i have visited marly has the heighest scrubbers) made it impossible to use foam. after a week the fire was under controle but by no means
extinguished. The pressure rose as the thick smoke was analised malignant and caused inconveniance as far as Köln (some 300Km away).
It was decided that the tower must be torn down. A cable was connected to the top of the burning tower and in a last effort to turn the chances, Marly
started to burn harder and the operation was delayd.
The tower hit the ground the day after and was finaly coverd with foam. The revenge of Charcokce Marly was opposed!
After the fire, a politic fencing-game started wich gave me time to get my gear loaded and hop the enclosure. Still today (a year after) the fencing
game still continuses and there hasn't moved a fireproof stone since. Looks like Marly won!
The pictures are not of a great quality but that is to blame on the digitising process. As soon as i have a new scanner i will rescan and upload them.
Follow me into a world of rubble and sticky tar.
(04-09-2004: update of pictures but still not verry pleased. Will try better next time)
(18-09-2004: bought myself a REAL scanner. I'm satisfied now)
