Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Paint removal is still a big thing to be done before the former Pillsbury plant can finally be demolished.

That’s according to Moving Pillsbury Forward. The group’s Chris Richmond says in an e-mail that silver paint coating removal has to be done carefully on the silos and headhouse, because it’s five-percent asbestos.

“Once this 290,000 sq. ft. surface coating is removed, we can demolish these structures and recycle the estimated 70,000 tons of concrete,” said Richmond, in the e-mail.

The Regional Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency covering Illinois — Anne Vogel — visited the site this past week.

“It was a great opportunity to demonstrate how the ($3 million in) grant funds are being spent and why it is so important for our community,” said Richmond.  “These cleanup funds were a critical component in bringing the overall project together. The cleanup must be completed prior to demolition so that renewal at the site could take place. In just a few short weeks, the silo cleanup will be completed, and we can move forward to the much-anticipated large-scale demolition aspect of the project. All the smaller structures at the site have now been cleaned up and removed.”