ALPENA — Decorative Panels International laid out its plan on Tuesday on how it intends to decommission the old plant in Alpena.

The plant announced it was closing in February and laid off more than 150 employees. The company said the closure was due to economic stress and pressure.

In a press release on Tuesday, DPI said it has developed and implemented a decommissioning plan for the Alpena facility that will protect resident’s health and the environment. The company said the plan will also control odors and help prepare the site for future use.

The initial decommissioning activities so far have been focused on identifying, removing, and disposing of waste materials, while keeping regulators and officials in Alpena informed of site activity.

“Daryl Clendenen and his staff at DPI have been instrumental throughout this transition,” Alpena Mayor Cindy Johnson said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with DPI, and we couldn’t have had a better team to end this journey with. “We look forward to the future and the possibilities for this beautiful waterfront property.”

The next phase of the plant’s closure includes decommissioning the wastewater treatment system and monitoring the lagoons.

The press release says two of the three lagoons on the site of the old factory have been inactive for years and no new facility wastewater is entering the treatment system or lagoon since the plant discontinued operation last winter.

Officials say DPI recently conducted a preliminary test for decommissioning the wastewater treatment system and has been monitoring dissolved oxygen levels in the lagoon. Although the aerators in the lagoon have been turned off as part of this test no odors have been detected, they can be swiftly reactivated if dissolved oxygen levels decrease, and odor control becomes necessary.

The company says it will continue monitoring the lagoon while conducting the remaining closure activities.

The future use of the Alpena facility is currently unknown, but DPI says after the completion of decommissioning activities, it plans to put the property on the market later this year.

The plant will be under surveillance 24 hours a day, seven days a week using security guards and cameras throughout the decommissioning process and until the site is under new ownership. Further updates will be provided as needed, DPI said in the press release.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.